Updates from NLS
Once again, Year 9 students have had a really positive half-term. It is evident that they are going from strength to strength while they continue to manage the demands of their GCSE studies, as well as engaging positively with all aspects of school life. It has been great to hear from students that they are enjoying their work and seeing that they are making excellent progress against their target grades, particularly in those subjects being undertaken for the first time such as Photography, Health and Social, Business Studies and Media Studies.
The more effort you give, the more commitment you show, the more opportunities you’ll make, the further you’ll go.
Year 11 students have had an incredibly busy but also very productive half-term in school. The focus has naturally been centred on preparation for upcoming summer examinations, but there has also been a concerted drive to provide all students with a positive Post-16 destination to work towards. Alongside this, we have been looking for as many opportunities as possible to reward and celebrate the consistently high levels of positive behaviours on display within the year group. As a whole, the year group has made huge strides since September, and everyone has really developed in terms of maturity and focus as we approach the end of their time together.
Our Sixth Formers have had a busy few weeks this half-term.
University UK Fair
On Friday 11 March our Year 12 students enjoyed their morning at the UK University Search Fair at Edgbaston relishing the opportunity to meet and chat with a number of universities and gather information as part of their post 18 planning. Not only were they happy with their freebies and swag bags, students commented on how it’s given them the drive to get researching for their future, and others with how it’s thrown more possibilities into their choices!
International Women’s Day
On 8 March Sixth Form students appreciated International Women’s Day with some departments sending students information of women who have inspired and influenced their subjects over the years. In assembly, we discussed IWD in relation to the women in Ukraine and how they are showing their strength through fighting for their country and supporting their families. This year's theme was #breakthebias with students and teachers showing their support.
Physics Olympiad
On 4 March, some Year 12 students took part in the Physics Olympiad Senior Physics Challenge. The paper was very demanding, stretching the problem-solving skills of pupils beyond even the A Level course. We are delighted what they students achieved with a particular mention to Thomas for achieving Gold, the highest award, putting him in the top 8.9% of the candidates entered nationally.
It really is testament to the aspirations and quality of the students that so many entered in the first place; they should all be proud. It really was a very demanding challenge.
Gold: Thomas A
Bronze 1: Adam S
Bronze 2: Tom LB, Shahmeer, Bede
Commendation: Jodie C, Will C, Henry F, Oliver L, Oliver T, Tanisha T, Henri T
Ukraine support and fundraiser
As promised in last week’s letter, below is the picture of the Sixth Form students coming together to make the Ukrainian flag in their support for Ukraine. Donations have totalled £462.75 so far which will be donated to the DEC (Disasters Emergency Committee - Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal). The students also requested to do a minute silence for those who have lost their life in the conflict and to reflect.
Further thanks for the donations that have been brought to the Sixth Form office in support of a neighbour of one of our students shortly taking in two sisters and their three young children (a boy aged 9, and girls 6 years & 14 months) from Ukraine which we are supporting alongside the whole school appeal. Any items that you might wish to donate to help these families we will be pleased to receive in the Sixth Form office.
NLS Sixth Form Culture Day
Our Diversity & Equality Assistant Student Leader and friends organised and ran a successful Culture Awareness Day on Thursday 31 March, where students brought in a variety of food from their culture or heritage. It was a great success, with students enjoying the delicious array of food at break time. We followed this up in assembly explaining the benefits of cultural diversity, how to celebrate others' cultures and why it is so important. Thank you to everyone who brought in food, to the students and parents who made it (it was delicious!) and for all the students who got involved. Special thanks to Pradeeptaa in Year 13.
Year 11 Sixth Form Interviews
It has been lovely meeting current and external Year 11 students for the Sixth Form Interviews over the last few weeks. Having the opportunity to talk about how they spend their time outside of school with some incredibly impressive extra-curricular activities or learning about their aspirations for the future was a rewarding experience for all those involved. All students were polite and were really strong representatives for their Year group.
We are excited to have you in the Sixth Form in September 2022!
Student Leadership Opportunities.
As our Year 13s turn their full concentration to their summer exams we would like to thank the Senior Student Leadership team for their hard work this year. The new events they have inspired will be on our calendar for years to come and their help and support will not be forgotten. Thank you to Jai and Chloe for leading the team, and thanks to the team; Millie, Reyaan, Leo, Jess, Sophie, Nicole, Anya, Joe, Issy, Milly & Niall.
This opens the doors to the next group of students to take the mantel. Applications for the leadership roles will open after Easter, with two Senior Student Leader roles and a group of Assistant Senior Student Leaders to support them and to develop further areas within the Sixth Form, NLS and the wider community. More info to come!
Student Spotlight
Part of our aims for NLS Sixth Form are to support the development of each student holistically and for them to be world-ready individuals who are intellectually and emotionally intelligent. We encourage students to develop their skills for the ever-changing world, achieving their individual potential.
We would like to ‘turn the spotlight on’ some of our students who are achieving this and developing themselves in and outside of school. We have so many impressive students, so we will introduce you to a couple each bulletin!#
CISCO Accredited Course
We have launched our first CISCO accredited course in Cyber Security for all Key Stage 4 and 5 students to access. This will enable students to begin to build a portfolio of industry recognised certificates which are globally recognised in order to fully promote their individual IT and Computing employability skills. Students can self-enrol and access the independent learning materials via this link. There will be several different certificates for students to access on a rotation basis which will change each term so please keep an eye out for new certificates being promoted.
Well done to Nathaniel T who has already completed his Introduction to Cyber Security CISCO course in such a short space of time. Fantastic effort! Remember, it’s free to sign up, just check your email or ‘Latest News’ for instructions on how to self-enrol. This course is available until 13 June so plenty of time to complete yours. A new course (Introduction to IoT) will be available in September 2022!
iDEA Award
We have launched the iDEA Award for all Key Stage 3 students which is also an accredited series of industry recognised certificates to showcase the digital skills of students. Students can self-enrol and access the independent learning materials via the link that has been emailed out or via ‘Latest News’ on the school website. Once a certificate has been completed it can be printed out and kept to demonstrate employability skills within the digital sector. There are Bronze and Silver certificates currently available to achieve which are gained through completing self-led ‘badges’ that students can work through at their own pace. This was only launched a few weeks ago and we have had one Bronze certificate awarded to Daniel M already! Fantastic effort! Daniel can now look forward to attempting to complete his Silver Award. Remember, it’s free to sign up, just check your emails for instructions.
Code Club
In the pipeline is Code Club to be launched in the Summer term aimed at Key Stage 3 students who would like to develop their coding skills using Scratch, Python or HTML/CSS. We are currently seeking feedback from students as to what they would like to access in Code Club. Students should look out for an email with a survey to complete if they are interested. More details and launch to follow very soon after the Easter break.
Year 7 & Y8 Drama
Students in KS3 are following a programme of learning that explores an introduction to Drama. Year 7 Drama students are currently exploring a script from the Grimm Tales, Hansel and Gretal. Year 8 Drama will have been exploring Brechtian strategies to create a performance that raises awareness of neglect and poverty and the impact of a real story that inspired Adrian Mitchell’s poem ‘Saw it in the Papers’
VIBE Drama Club Tuesday after school (Drama Rooms C030 C034)
Vibe Drama Club have been busy creating performances for the Y6 Induction Day in the Summer Term. Year 7 Vibe are exploring Roald Dahl’s Matilda and Y8 Vibe are exploring The Little Mermaid. Vibe Drama Club is open to all Y7 and Y8 students and is led by the Y9 and Y10 Drama Leaders. Both Year 7 and Year 8 are exploring scripts and creating short performances this half term.
Enrichment Opportunity for Year 8 students who have chosen to study GCSE Drama
We are really excited to an ambassador school working with Highly Sprung Theatre and will be participating in the Changing Climates Festival. A week-long festival of environmentally themed youth performance. 
Changing Climates Festival presents performance responding to themes of environmentalism in its widest form, considering questions regarding the impact of climate change and pollution in our societies and on us as individuals. What will our futures look like if no action is taken, what will the impact be on clean air, fresh water, unlimited food and resources, even our ability to communicate with each-other?
The Changing Climates Festival challenges young performers to engage in an intensive devising process, over 2 artist residency days in school with Highly Sprung artists. The NLS group will create a 20 minute piece of thought-provoking and inspiring physical performance to showcase their talents linked to this theme. It is an excellent opportunity to experience live theatre whilst developing an understanding of the drama strategies that they will learn and apply throughout their Drama course.
This year’s festival will be viewing the climate crisis through the lens of ‘voice’, examining the influence and impact of young people’s opinions and how they are heard, or more likely not heard.
What impact does freedom of speech/expression or the lack of it have in promoting or contributing to climate change?
What say do we really have?
And who’s listening anyway?
On Monday 23 May and Wednesday 25 May students will spend the 2 days working with a Highly Sprung Director who will work with the group at NLS towards a performance piece. The artist will be able to offer practical insights into the devising process and physical theatre techniques to develop performance material. Please ask your child to wear their PE kit for these workshops and to bring a bottle of water. VT, break and lunchtime will be timetabled as normal. Students will then be expected to commit to extra weekly rehearsals to continue rehearsing the performance in preparation for the performance.
The performers will spend a day at the Belgrade Theatre on Thursday 9 June where students will be involved in all day workshops with professional theatre companies during the morning. Students will have a technical rehearsal in the afternoon followed by a dress rehearsal in preparation for a public performance in the main theatre of the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry, in conjunction with other local secondary schools and Highly Sprung Performance Company.
A minibus will transport the group to the Theatre on Thursday 9 June for the Physical Fellowship Workshops and technical rehearsal. Please make the necessary arrangements to collect your child from the Belgrade Theatre after the performance. The performance will finish at approximately 9.30pm. Please ensure your child wears appropriate loose clothing for the all day practical workshop and brings a packed lunch and a dinner for the workshop, rehearsal and performance. Students will be required to stay at the theatre after the technical rehearsal until the evening performance has finished.
This opportunity has been subsidised by the Drama Department but there is a contribution of £30.00 towards the cost of the event. Payment and permission is required via the online ParentPay system.
30 places are available and offered on a first come first served basis. Letters are available from Mrs Hill and payment details are on ParentPay.
GCSE Drama – Y9, Y10 and Y11
Year 9 GCSE Drama students have started to explore their set text The Crucible by Arthur Miller from a Performer, Director and design perspective in order to prepare them for the written exam.
Year 10 GCSE Drama NEA have completed their Component 1 Performances. Topics chosen this year ranged from the story of Sarah Everard, Audrey Hepburn and Malala Yousafzai. Students are now completing their written analysis and evaluation for their portfolios and this is worth 40% of their final GCSE Drama grade.
Year 11 GCSE Drama students have completed their Component 2 Performances and are now revising for their written exam on 19 May.
Section A: The Crucible by Arthur Miller Students will practically explore a set text in order to be able to answer short and extended response questions. These questions will focus on decisions made as a performer, a director and a designer. An extract from the chosen set text will be provided in the exam paper. Students will have access to the text in school but you may wish to purchase a copy of the text to support your child with their learning beyond the classroom. The edition that the exam board will use in the examination is:
2022 – Pre-release materials for the Component 3 Exam
The exam board have announced this week that for Section A The Crucible the extract will be taken from Act 2 P57-66.
PE Curriculum and Clubs
The clocks have gone forwards and shorts have returned to the PE department, meaning summer sports are on their way. Following the Easter break, our pupils will experience lessons in athletics, tennis, rounders and cricket. Our extra curricular timetable will reflect the changing of the seasons and sports will have competitive fixtures upcoming. Please see the PE extracurricular timetable for summer 1 below:-
Year 11 GCSE PE Revision
In Spring 1, thorough preparations for the GCSE PE terminal examinations commenced with Mr Butler and Miss Watkins. Our year 11 pupils have attended on Tuesdays each week, showing real engagement and enthusiasm in the sessions. The pupils have covered topics such as respiratory system, the effects of exercise on the body, axis and levers, and types of feedback and guidance. These revision sessions will continue every Tuesday in C040 to 4:00pm, up to exam leave and we implore all pupils to make the most of these highly valuable sessions.
GCSE & A-Level PE Practical Moderation Dates
We have had confirmation of our 2 practical moderation dates for students on GCSE PE & A-Level PE:
Once we have confirmation of which students and sports have been selected by the moderators, Mr Burt will give moderation packs to each student with key information, timings and plans for the day. We wish all students luck in the practical moderations and are sure they will do themselves and NLS proud.
Netball Y7
Our Year 7 Netball team was successful in beating Kenilworth 17-2 in the Plate FINAL! They showed incredible sportsmanship and they were a credit to NLS.
The Year 8 team came 1st, the Year 9 team came 4th and the Year 10 team came 2nd in their leagues against all of the other neighbouring schools.
Throughout the year it has been fantastic to see all of our Netball teams working so hard to win as many games as possible
If Netball is something you would like to try, please come along to the Netball club in the Autumn term next academic year to show off your skills and possibly get selected to join the team!
Football Y7
Our Y7 footballers ended the season with two narrow defeats in the Semi-Final of the Cup and final League fixture (2-1 and 1-0 respectively). The boys have had a tremendous first season together and we await a final league fixture to be played by two other schools, to see if we are league champions or runners up.
Our Y7 B Team have also represented the school in two excellent games v Arnold Lodge at the end of March. This was a great opportunity for students who were ever present during Football extra-curricular clubs, but had not yet represented the school. The two games ended in an 8-4 and 4-3 victory both for NLS with 'Man of the Matches', Daniel M and Noah T, in the two games.
Football Y8
Our Y8 footballers WON the County Cup on Wednesday 6 April against Studley at Central Ajax FC. It was a thrilling final, where NLS went down 2-0 early in the first half in the teaming rain. However, the clouds broke and so did the shackles from the boys' performance, as they took control of the game and scored 4 fantastic goals to secure the cup coming back to NLS! Huge congratulations to all students involved and to goal scorers Noah F, Archie DP x2 and Louis P.
Rugby Y7
Our Y7 Rugby team have made huge progress since the start of the year and performed exceptionally well in the Y7 Schools Rugby tournament in March. They were victorious against Aylesford and went down by a single point to both Kenilworth and Southam, but had much the better of both games. I am extremely excited about the team moving forward into Y8.
Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
Our year 9 & 10 Duke of Edinburgh Bronze award students enjoyed a fantastic day out in the sunshine during Spring 1, learning how to navigate effectively using a map & compass in the Leek Wootton area as they begin preparations for their summer qualifying expeditions. The training team from Venture Outdoor were highly complementary of our students’ attitude and engagement throughout the day as our teams covered 10+ kilometres in the beautiful countryside surrounding the Warwickshire Golf Club.
With the commencement of Summer term, it brings our qualifying expeditions into sharp focus and the importance of uploading evidence for the skill, physical and volunteering sections becomes paramount. To complete a section, a student must have either a completed assessor's report card (located in the participant handbook) or direct their assessor to the assessor’s report section of the DofE website.
For a section pass in the evidence verification process, the start date on the individual's eDofE programme planner must align with the start date recorded on the assessor's report. The length of time the section has been completed for must also cover the set time period of 3 months or 6 months, e.g. If the start date is – 01/01/2022, the finish date for a 3 month section must be 01/04/2022 as a minimum. Evidence will be rejected at verification if it does not meet the requirements of the DofE. Please see either Mr Beese (Year 10) or Mr Schofield (Year 9) for any queries relating to the Duke of Edinburgh Award. Two sections must be completed to be able to access the qualifying expedition, with evidence provided of efforts being made towards completing the third.
With the expeditions on the horizon, there are a number of compulsory training sessions that must be attended by all DofE pupils. Weekly reminders will go out via the weekly PE bulletin, directing pupils to their training location and providing specific session timing. The session schedule is provided below:-
Year 9
|
Session Date - 2022 |
Content |
|
6 April |
Packing for an expedition & practice expedition preparation |
|
4 May |
Basic first aid training & route cards |
|
11 May |
Practice expedition (8.50am-4.30pm) & camp craft training |
|
25 May |
Qualifying expedition planning & route cards |
|
6 July |
Qualifying expedition meeting & kit collection (3.20-4.30pm) |
|
8-9 July |
Qualifying expedition (2days walking, 1 night camping) |
Year 10
|
Session Date - 2022 |
Content |
|
6 April |
Packing for an expedition & practice expedition preparation |
|
4 May |
Basic first aid training & route card practice |
|
11 May |
Practice expedition (8.50am-4.30pm) & camp craft training |
|
25 May |
Qualifying expedition planning & route cards completion |
|
13 July |
Qualifying expedition meeting & kit collection (3.20-4.30pm) |
|
15-16 July |
Qualifying expedition (2days walking, 1 night camping) |
Dance recital 2022
Well done to Miss Davis and all of our fantastic dancers (67 in total from Y7-12) at the dance recital. You were all amazing and showcased your wonderful talent and passion for dance. You should all be so proud of yourselves. Also thank you to all the staff and students involved behind the scenes….without you there wouldn’t be a show! Well done to KS3 dance club on their first performance together, you were so professional and enthusiastic during the show and I hope you have many more performances to come at NLS. Good luck to Y11s with their practical exam in the next term, it was fantastic to see all your hard work and creativity come to light in the performance. Thank you to all those who came to watch and support.
Mr Burt
Head of PE
Climate Heroes Competition
This term, one of our fantastic year 9 club members, Emilia H, entered the Climate Heroes competition and won runner up for her age category! An incredible achievement whereby Emilia was invited to Ryton Pools to meet the local Warwickshire council members and climate change activists, have her picture taken and receive some excellent goodies. Well done Emilia for your achievement and excellent job at representing NLS!
Planting for the Jubilee!
A huge thank you to the Rotary Club and the Wildlife Trust for donating some trees to the Eco club in preparation for the Summer Term where we will be planting some trees in honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. We have been donated a Blackthorn and an Oak tree (which was planted from an acorn by the Wildlife Trust!). The trees will be added to the Queen's Green Canopy digital map when planted. We have just under 100 thriving trees planted on school site from when the club planted trees last academic year, so we are looking forward to adding some more. Watch this space! Thank you to Rebecca S, Isobel G, Mae W, Sophie R and Sofia Y for taking delivery of the trees.
We collected 103 bags of litter!
This term, we linked up with Keep Britain Tidy and pledged to collect 100 bags of litter in line with their Keep Britain Tidy Campaign. The Eco club, Eco leaders and some excellent DofE volunteers worked incredibly hard, donating their time during tutor time and after school to collect the litter from the school site and local area. We found some weird and wacky items such as a camera doorbell, carpet and a traffic cone! We are incredibly proud of our Eco Warriors and they are ready to tackle plastic waste and litter in the Summer term.
Guest speaker request!
This term, our fantastic Mr Schofield delivered a lecture on Renewable energy for the Eco club! The students learned all about the fantastic ways we can support the renewable energy sector, really inspiring our club members. We are looking for future guest speakers, so if you work/have worked in a sector linked to sustainability, and feel you could inspire our students, please get in touch with Miss Clifford at hclifford@northleamington.co.uk
Miss Clifford
We are going from strength to strength, with each student developing and employing the CORE ethos of the school. It is so pleasing to witness the majority of pupils being supportive, honest, having integrity, never giving up and most importantly, displaying enthusiasm. ‘When you can be anything in this world……be kind’, has been the underlying tone of this half-term, and it has been overwhelming to witness year 7 students displaying such heart-warming acts of kindness, towards both staff and students at NLS. The number of R2s students have received in year 7 is higher than I have ever witnessed in my time as a College Leader at NLS. Their simple gestures have gone a long way in spreading happiness in NLS. We have also continued to follow instructions and display a positive work ethic. This corroborates my opinion that despite my high expectations, we are able to achieve anything and develop the key skills needed to be a well-rounded individual. I am very proud of the students in year 7. It is important that I am helping them to feel happy at school as well as ensuring that they have high aspirations.
Year 7 Tutor Curriculum
This half-term, our year 7 students have learnt about friendships, respect and relationships. The curriculum focussed on; features of healthy friendships (including online), typical behaviour within respectful relationships and what to do if a friendship/relationship causes unhappiness. It was also important to address issues such as consent and boundaries. I have received some positive feedback from all tutors stating that our year 7s behaved in a very mature and empathetic manner. I am hoping these lessons will support them to make the right decisions in the future and build/maintain positive friendships at school and in the community.
Year 7 trip to the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham
All year 7 students had the opportunity to attend a fascinating trip to the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham. They experienced animal handling and a rainforest challenge. The animal handling entailed looking at their exciting and unique animal collection! They had the opportunity to `get up close` with a range of exotic animals chosen from the following selection: Corn Snake, Panther Chameleon, Bearded Dragon, Lesser Madagascan Tenrec, Fire Salamander, Giant Land Snail, Madagascan Hissing Cockroach and Stick Insect! They got to learn about the special adaptations that these creatures have developed and the habitat they live in. Our year 7 students also competed in a Rainforest Challenge. They worked in small groups to solve clues in their backpacks to find out the names and information about our key rainforest plants. The students had to work out the secret codeword. It was fantastic to witness how enthusiastic and engaged all of our students were. Their attitude and behaviour was exemplary.
Whitemoor Lakes
I am excited to announce that we will be taking 170 students to Whitemoor Lake on Friday 1 – Sunday 3 April. I will be hosting an information evening on Thursday 10 March at 6pm. This will be an opportunity to discuss the finer details. I am hoping that this experience will be more than just a fun ‘school trip away’. As Year 7 Leader, I want to offer our students interesting and meaningful adventures, educational school trips and outdoor learning opportunities in line with the curriculum. At Whitemoor Lake, students will be exposed to a wide range of diverse and exciting activities from developing practical skills to outdoor educational adventures like abseiling, climbing, archery and team games. All exciting and fun activities for pupils to enjoy, but all chosen with specific goals in mind – whether it’s confidence building for children unwilling or unable to engage with their teachers and/or peers in the classroom, team building to encourage students to work together, or to encourage independence and a sense of personal responsibility for our students. For our year 7 students, I feel this residential trip will offer a unique opportunity for them to claim their independence, make their own decisions and build new friendships and make fantastic memories.
Rewards
I am excited to inform you that our top 30 students in year 7 had the opportunity to attend a cinema experience in the school theatre. These students were awarded with this prize for accumulating the highest number of reward points in year 7. It was lovely to see them sat back relaxing, eating popcorn and enjoying a good movie. Well deserved.
I am pleased to announce that Alexis F has continued to reign supreme and achieve the highest Reward Points in year 7 this term. However Will K, Zac L, Max R and Zac F are still hot on her heels, finishing within the top 5. This is a fantastic accomplishment. Their ability to maintain their lead demonstrates that they have been consistent in their approach to learning. Taking on leadership roles within lessons, working above their target as well as supporting others are just a few of the underlying reasons why they have managed to be awarded so many points. Congratulations to all of the students listed below, I am very proud of you all.
|
Alexis F |
100 |
|
Will K |
92 |
|
Zac L |
90 |
|
Max R |
89 |
|
Zac F |
84 |
|
Alex H |
84 |
|
Daniel M |
80 |
|
Erika G |
79 |
|
Daniel P |
79 |
|
Olly R |
78 |
I am also pleased to announce that BW2 is the tutor group with the highest reward points in year 7- well done!
Year 7 rule!
When reviewing the data, it is clear that we have some incredible students that continue to display an exceptional attitude to learning and are therefore managing to achieve in all subject areas. The majority of year 7 students appear to have improved their Attitude to Learning in at least one subject. I am confident that by providing additional support and intervention, it will not be long before all year 7 students are achieving at least ‘good’ in all subjects. Well done to all students that continue to challenge themselves and work to the best of their ability, you are all a credit to NLS.
Parents’ Evening
I just wanted to say a huge thank you to those parents and carers that have recently attended parents’ evening. As Year Leader, I am trying to ensure that we keep our lines of communication open and maintain parental engagement. We had 86% of parents/carers attend face to face/online meetings which is a reflection of your commitment, and I am so grateful for your endless support. I would really appreciate it if I could ask you to feedback on the organisation and structure of the event.
Valentine's Day
All year 7 celebrated Valentine's Day by sharing what they love about their tutor group. It was incredibly endearing to see how much the students enjoy so many aspects of their tutor team. I think it epitomises our year ethos this half term ‘ Be the person that makes someone smile today.’
World Book Day
On Thursday 3 March, students in Y7 and Y8 will be able take part in an exciting event to celebrate 2022’s World Book Day. Please see below for more information…
What is it?
To celebrate World Book Day, we have organised a book swap on a gigantic scale.
When is it? Where is it?
Thursday 3 March at break and lunch in the library.
Why get involved?
This is your child’s chance to share books that they love with others. If they take part, they will end up with a new book for free!
How to get involved?
Your child should bring in a book that they have enjoyed reading but that they are happy to swap for another of their choice. After bringing in their book, they will be given a ticket so that they can ‘buy’ a new book with it on the day. Their book must be brought to form and given to their tutor by Wednesday 2 March.
What will happen to any spare books?
They will be donated to the library or to charity.
If you have any questions, then please contact Miss Kellow on jkellow@northleamington.co.uk
Final message
It has been a very successful half-term. I applaud all the students that continue to sustain their motivation, passion and commitment to their work and year group. You all make me proud and long may it continue. Have a safe and happy half-term. Please look after yourselves and each other.
Mr Royle
Curriculum
This half-term, students have been exploring Relationships and Sex Education (RSE). These sessions have included Healthy Relationships, Consent and Boundaries. The Year 8 team have been really pleased with the way in which students have responded to these sessions; students were inquisitive, respectful and mature. The Year 8 students were also lucky enough to attend an assembly with a police officer where they explored County Lines. The students had lots of questions about this and made the most of this opportunity.
Children’s Mental Health Week
Monday 7- Sunday 13 February was Children’s Mental Health Week. During tutor time, students took part in a range of sessions to focus on their own mental health and wellbeing. Students also participated in an online assembly with Kooth, a fantastic online resource for young people where they were able to access online support and counselling. Kooth offer young people free, safe and confidential support. Please visit www.kooth.com for more information.
We also ran a college competition based around this year’s theme of ‘Growing Together’. Students were asked to create a poem, rap, song or poster that celebrates the importance of this as part of Children’s Mental Health Week. The deadline was Friday 18 February, and we look forward to selecting winners. All students that take part will win 1 college point for their college.
Rewards and Recognition
Year 8 have over 39,000 reward points which is fantastic!
The Top 3 Students are:
On Tuesday 18 January, the Top 30 students in Year 7-11 were invited to attend a cinema event. This was a fantastic event which enabled us to celebrate and recognise students’ excellent attitude in school. Our Year 8 Reward Leaders were brilliant in supporting this event. Another celebration event will follow in Spring 2.
Colleges
This term saw our first college assemblies since lockdown and therefore, Year 8s’ first ever college assembly! It was lovely to see the students gather with a range of year groups, and we are looking forward to the events that will take place over the remainder of the year.
Careers
Parents will have received information from Mrs Barley-Morey in regards to the CEIAG Morrisby Quiz. Students complete this quiz in Computer Science lessons and it was great to hear the range of careers that students were exploring.
It was National Apprenticeship Week this half-term and students took part in some tutor time sessions to explore what apprenticeships are. Students engaged really well with the sessions.
Options
The Year 8 students are getting ready to choose their options and the Year 8 team have received some enquiries. Please be reassured that you will receive some information around this following half-term. We have a detailed plan to ensure that both students and parents/carers are prepared when selecting options. Please be aware that the Parents’ Evening on Monday 4 April will allow for an opportunity to discuss options with relevant staff members.
World Book Day
On Thursday 3 March, students in Y7 and Y8 will be able take part in an exciting event to celebrate 2022’s World Book Day. Please see below for more information…
What is it?
To celebrate World Book Day, we have organised a book swap on a gigantic scale.
When is it? Where is it?
Thursday 3 March at break and lunch in the library.
Why get involved?
This is your child’s chance to share books that they love with others. If they take part, they will end up with a new book for free!
How to get involved?
Your child should bring in a book that they have enjoyed reading but that they are happy to swap for another of their choice. After bringing in their book, they will be given a ticket so that they can ‘buy’ a new book with it on the day. Their book must be brought to form and given to their tutor by Wednesday 2 March.
What will happen to any spare books?
They will be donated to the library or to charity.
If you have any questions, then please contact Miss Kellow on jkellow@northleamington.co.uk
Thank You!
Thank you for the ongoing support of your child this half-term. We are really looking forward to starting the options process for Year 8 as they think about their next steps in school. Please can we ask for parental support in ensuring students are suitably equipped for school and their uniform is worn to a high standard. Please do get in contact with your child’s tutor if there is anything you wish to discuss.
Miss P Murphy
Back in September, in our very first assembly of the year, I talked to Year 9 students about the importance of effort. I emphasised the importance of putting in hard work at the beginning of the GCSE course, and how this would give them the greatest chance of success as they approach their exams in 2024. Ultimately, if we try our best, we cannot fail! After reviewing the most recent data that class teachers have inputted for students, I am delighted to see that 68% of Year 9 students are on course to achieve, or exceed their GCSE target grades. Whilst we will continue to challenge students to achieve further, we will also look to support students to at least reach their potential. I am really proud of the Year 9 students who consistently display the World Class Basics and I hope they are also proud of the progress they are making as young people.
It was also great to finally meet so many parents and carers at the Year 9 Parents' Evening in January. I hope you found the evening valuable and the feedback from teachers beneficial in how your child can develop further. To support your child, I truly believe that open lines of communication and parental engagement are two huge contributing factors, so please do not hesitate to contact me or your child’s teacher if there’s anything we can do to help.
Year 9 Data 2 – Headlines:
|
Name |
Tutor Group |
|
Ian de la PW |
9BW02 |
|
Tarnvir S |
9BD02 |
|
Chloe F |
9BW02 |
|
Ozi C |
9BD01 |
|
Martha N-S |
9MR02 |
|
Lauren D |
9PK01 |
|
Jess K |
9MR02 |
|
Natalia C |
9MR02 |
|
Elle O |
9PK02 |
|
Florence S |
9CT02 |
Since Data 1 (November 2021) the following students have achieved the most reward points in the year group
|
Name |
Tutor Group |
Points |
|
Fred S |
9MR02 |
109 |
|
Lola R |
9CT01 |
100 |
|
Ian de la PW |
9BW02 |
99 |
|
Avneet R |
9BW01 |
97 |
|
Lucas RL |
9MR02 |
94 |
|
Emilia H |
9PK01 |
90 |
|
Isaac P |
9CT01 |
89 |
|
Dexter K |
9BW01 |
86 |
|
Tristan H |
9CT02 |
85 |
|
Logan LW |
9BD01 |
84 |
Tutor Time
Tutor Time sessions this half-term have focused on “Relationships and Sex Education”, where students developed their understanding across a number of topics: Sexual Consent and Law, Healthy Relationships, Peer-on-peer Bullying and Harassment, and Domestic Abuse. I have been really impressed with the maturity and engagement from pupils during these sessions, and I hope they continue to build and maintain positive relationships in school and in the wider community. The focus for next half-term is “Staying Safe” and will cover several topics: Online Grooming, Drugs and Alcohol, and County Lines. The latter links in nicely to an extended assembly that pupils received from DC Williams of the Warwickshire Police Force, who came into school to talk to Years 8- 11 about Drug Awareness and County Lines. Once again, I was very impressed with Year 9 students' positive attitudes and engagement around such an important matter as well as their manners towards our visitor.
Year 9 students also took part in National Apprenticeship Week, which provided lots of information about post-16 pathways, and National Children’s Mental Health Week, which encouraged students to reflect on their emotional and personal development as part of the ‘Growing Together’ theme. We were also very fortunate to have a representative from Kooth deliver an online assembly where they discussed how their organisation can support with children’s mental health. I would encourage you to visit their website for further information.
Message to Parents and Carers
As we are now over half way through the year (and half way through students' secondary education), on behalf of the Year 9 team, I would like to express our appreciation for all of your support so far this year. It is a real pleasure to work with you and support your child. I hope you have a lovely half-term break.
Mr Butler