Message from Ms J Costello, Principal

The Summer term brings the challenge of Public Examinations and I would like to wish all students success in their endeavours.

We have received a very encouraging email from Professor Toby Salt, CEO of Ormiston Academies Trust in which he wishes everyone all the very best: “Whatever the exams, be they KS4 or later at KS5, they influence the future of those that we serve, and shine a light on the dedication of those that have taught and developed them. I know that you want all our students to do as well as I do. Good luck to you, and all your students, teachers, colleagues and their families.”

Throughout the Academy we are seeing outstanding achievements across the curriculum, both in academic and creative areas. Students have also participated in a wide variety of activities such as inter-school competitions, educational visits and sports challenges.

Thank you for your continued support as we maintain this positive momentum and look forward to the future.

In This Issue Academic achievements.

Educational trips & visits.

Physical Education.

Competitions & challenges.

Extra-curricular clubs.

Community events & charity fundraising.

Newsletter 5 2015 / 2016

RIVERS NEWSLETTER

Exemplar Work We are incredibly proud of A Level student Pip Searle whose Religious Studies examination essay was chosen to be an exemplar model by the exam board Edexcel. Pip sat the AS Level exam last summer and scored an incredible 50/50. This work will be read by teachers and students across the country as guidance on how to write a full mark essay.

Miss Marable, Teacher of Philosophy and Ethics said: “We hope Pip's success continues as we celebrate this achievement born from hard work and a passion for your subject.”

A* Grades On the 27th April, 33 Year 11 students undertook their Performing Arts practical examination.

13 students achieved an A* in the single award GCSE and 100% of students achieved an A* in the double award.

The practical exam unit is based on work carried out during Year 10, where practice briefs are provided for performance work in various contexts. The examination requires candidates to demonstrate, in a Showcase performance, what they have learned about working as a member of a team and also how to present their personal skills to the highest possible standard. It reinforces the processes involved in researching the work of others, planning, preparing, and performing an event or production which is examined live.

Head of Performing Arts & Drama, Miss Davies was delighted by the grades, she said: “The examiner commented on their professionalism and ability to work as a company. The standard was very high this year and we are looking forward to receiving their overall grades on results day.”

A* Showcase for Performing Arts

Ski 2016 During the first week of the Easter holidays 32 students were fortunate enough to be part of the Academy’s annual ski trip; this year the group went to Cormayeur in the Aosta Valley, Italy.

Students and staff arrived via coach on Sunday afternoon and enjoyed some traditional Italian cuisine before heading up the mountain to the ski hire in preparation for the week ahead.

The days began with lessons from 10am until 3pm with a qualified Interski instructor as the students progressed in their chosen discipline of skiing or snowboarding. Afternoons and evenings were filled with various après ski activities such as karaoke and quiz nights, visits to the local town for some amazing ice cream or a ‘belly-busting’ visit to a local pizzeria.

Head of Physical Education, Mr Clay, said: “All students on the trip were a credit to the Academy, but as ever, the best part was witnessing the students’ progress on the slopes and introducing them to the eye catching scenery only the Alps can offer. We certainly hope many will consider skiing or snowboarding again in the future, after this experience.”

The next ski trip is in February 2017 and is already fully booked so keep an eye out for details of 2018.

History in Berlin Sixth Form History students, accompanied by Mr Walker and Ms Hayward, embarked on a four-day visit to Germany to learn about life in Weimar and Nazi Germany between the two world wars. The first day included a tour of the German Parliament with views of the city from its glass rooftop dome, followed by a traditional supper. On the second day, they travelled to Sachsenhausen, a concentration camp; then proceeded to the resort town of Wannsee where the terrible plans were made for the Holocaust. These two locations gave both students and staff a lot to reflect upon.

Day 3 was all about Berlin: visiting the Jewish Museum, Checkpoint Charlie & the Topography of Terror Museum. Later, there was a chance to enjoy shopping in Berlin. Students participated in a photo scavenger hunt on the final day; a time to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the city and showcase their knowledge of Berlin and its history.

Head of History, Mr Walker commented: “The trip was an excellent opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of the topics they have been studying in lessons. Several Year 12s are now exploring options of how they might share their knowledge, particularly about the Holocaust, with younger students in the school, while some Year 13s have expressed a keen interest in studying German and modern European History at university next year.”

Rivers Sixth Form students visit Berlin

Cormayeur, Aosta Valley, Italy

RNLI Open Day The RNLI Burnham on Crouch open day is on Sunday 12th June from 11.00am to 4.00pm at the Lifeboat station, Burnham Yacht Harbour.

Meet the lifeboat crew, see the boats up close and learn about how the RNLI saves lives at sea.

Lifeboat crew member and former ORA student, Ben Mumford said: “The RNLI plays a vital part in the community by helping save lives at sea. The Open Day is a great event for all the family and we look forward to seeing you on the day.”

Body Worlds On 5th May, Year 12 Health and Social Care students, their teacher, Mrs Winchester and Student Support Administrator, Mrs Head, went on a day trip to the Body Worlds museum in Amsterdam. They caught an early morning flight from London Southend airport, then the intercity train line into Amsterdam City Centre and on to the museum.

The Body Worlds museum is an exhibition of real human bodies that tell the amazing story of our anatomy and the impact our choices make on our health. More than 200 anatomical specimens show the complexity, resilience and vulnerability of the body, how our organs work, and the effect of common diseases.

Mrs Winchester said: “Students were able to put the theory they had been learning in the classroom into some perspective. We even had some time left over for sightseeing, ice cream by the canals and souvenir shopping. The students were amazing! They really were a credit to the school!”

Student, Holly Mcloughlin added: “Amsterdam was amazing, it gave me an opportunity to experience my first flight, as well as visit the Body Worlds museum. This was such a great experience seeing all the preserved bodies and muscles in so much detail. My favourite part was the floor with the babies in, even though it was emotional. Seeing the babies at different stages of growth was so interesting, yet also educational. Having free time after the museum trip was also great as we had the chance to explore central Amsterdam. We were able to do some shopping and enjoy an ice cream. The weather made the whole trip even better, which added to this great experience.”

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Sicily at Easter 15 students travelled to Sicily during the Easter holidays for an exhilarating opportunity to put their geographical skills into practice. Sicily is a wonderful island with spectacular coastal, volcanic and mountain scenery.

A trip to Mount Etna, the tallest active volcano in Europe, included a cable car ride, 4x4 truck journey and an adrenaline filled hike up the slopes to the crater rim. It was an unforgettable way of learning about the formation of the mountain and the people who live there. Students also trekked across the top of the Alcantara Gorge which was formed through volcanic activity and water. Basalt rock columns, pillars, fans, pipes and cascades can clearly be seen. Year 10 student, Amelia Richardson commented: “My favourite part of the trip was the gorge. The way it formed was so interesting as well. I learnt that the lava flow was cooled by the air and water, which slowed it down and formed different shapes.”

There were amazing views from the ruins of the Greek Theatre at Taormina to the sweeping vista of the Mediterranean & Mount Etna. Year 9 student, Megan Malcolm, said: “I enjoyed listening to geography and history students collide over which subject is better!”

On the fourth day, a boat trip to the Aeolian island of Stromboli provided great excitement as students and staff could see a small ash eruption! Stromboli is the youngest of the Aeolian Islands and has been in nearly continuous eruption for around 2,000 years.

The trip wasn't all work: students also enjoyed pizza making, bowling, souvenir shopping and a very competitive quiz night.

Head of Humanities, Miss Judge, commented: “Every year the students I take on the international geography trip surprise me with their reliance, teamwork, attitude and love of geography. This year the compliments we received while traveling through Sicily were numerous. Huge thanks go to all students and staff who made this trip such a delight to be a part of.”

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Netball at the Copperbox On 7

th May a group of our keen netballers travelled to the Copper Box

Arena, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, with Miss Nicholls and Miss Lowther to watch the Superleague 2016 Final. There were 2 games:

3rd and 4th place play offs between Hertfordshire Mavericks & Team Bath.

the final between Surrey Storm and Manchester Thunder.

The first game was tight throughout, going right up to the whistle with only one point between the teams. Team Bath won 49-48. Surrey were competing in their third consecutive Grand Final, and the defending champions got off to a flying start. Manchester fought back to within one goal with 30 seconds left on the clock. In the final seconds Surrey Storm maintained possession and the final goal on the whistle to deny Thunder a comeback.

Miss Nicholls said: “The experience for the girls was fantastic, for many it was their first time at such a world class venue and to witness sports performances of such outstanding levels was amazing.”

Netball enthusiasts

Player of the

Tournament

Year 8 student, Anntony Harwood captained Basildon RFC U13 Girls at Ipswich Rugby Club’s Road to Rio 7s Festival on Sunday 1st May. There was plenty of competition with fast flowing rugby and great skill shown. Basildon were crowned champions, with Anntony receiving the cup for the second year in a row having captained last year’s U15 girls.

Anntony was also named player of the tournament by Ipswich RFC and received a second Trophy, presented by Darren Wright, Youth & Junior Chairman of Ipswich RFC.

Head of PE at the Academy, Mr Clay said: “On behalf of the school we'd like to congratulate Anntony on her outstanding achievement. Not only in winning the trophy with her team but also to be named player of the tournament. It's a testament to her work outside of school and we strongly encourage all students to involve themselves with an external club so that they can experience the vast opportunities that these clubs can offer. Well done again and we wish her every success in the future.”

Gold Medal Thomas Yates, Year 11, recently represented Team SWF at the British Inline Speed Skating Championships held at Madison Heights, Maldon. He won Gold medals in the 100m time-trial and 500m, Silver in the Junior/Senior two-man relay and Bronze in the 1000m.

Club Manager, Alan Moore, wrote to Principal, Ms Costello: “His British Championship win was even more poignant as Tom is relatively new to the sport, compared to his competitors who have been competing for many years, and at junior level his 100m time put him above many of the senior men’s time. The club are so proud of him.”

The Academy are also extremely proud of him - to achieve these results at such a high level is absolutely amazing; well done Tom!

Table Tennis Rebecca Lowman, Year 11, has qualified for the Jack Petchey London & Essex Schools’ Table Tennis Finals being held at the Brunel University Sports Centre, Middlesex on Saturday 11th June.

Over 100 players have been invited, with around 14 qualifiers participating in each of the boys and girls age groups, playing in groups before entering a play off.

We hope it will be a fantastic experience and successful day for Rebecca!

Parkrun The PE department are very keen to raise the profile of athletics and fitness of all students. Have you heard of Parkrun? They organise free, weekly, 5km timed runs in parks for people of all ages and abilities. PE teacher, Miss Williamson, said: “This is a good opportunity that people should be aware of. Events are held locally at 9am on Saturday mornings at Maldon Prom, Southend, Basildon, Chelmsford Central Park, Hockley Woods and Brentwood. There are also shorter 2km timed runs for children aged 4-14 years old, held at 9am Sunday mornings and currently take place at Maldon Prom and Chelmsford Central Park.”

Find more information at www.parkrun.org.uk/

The Girls are coming to get

you!

During the first half term of extra-curricular PE clubs, statistics quickly showed that boys were attending far more than girls; in fact the ratio of boys to girls at PE clubs was 4:1 in favour of the boys.

Just a little bit of encouragement saw the girls reduce that deficit to less than 3:1 by Christmas. The new year proved to be yet another positive period for the girls as they attended 533 times compared to 740 for the boys.

Finally, at Easter the figures came even closer as the girls attended clubs 212 times compared to the boys total of 214. Maybe the additional clubs made a difference, but if the trend continues the girls will soon overtake the boys at extra-curricular PE clubs. Only the figures at the end of May will tell the full story!

Keep checking our twitter @ORA_PE for up to date news and see if the girls continue their success at clubs.

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Athletics Masterclass Congratulations to students from Years 7, 8 and 9 who attended the Athletics Masterclasses at Chelmsford Athletics Centre on May 3rd, 4th and 5th. Students were led by experienced coaches in a range of track and field athletic events throughout the day.

Everyone arrived back at the academy with much excitement and some were keen to immediately join Chelmsford Athletics Club - something the PE department encourages students to do. Special mention goes to Tyler Forbes, Jack Hawkins, Will Miller, Beth Hurd, Lateesha Davis, Liam Morrow and Dylan McPherson whose performances for the day were individually recognised by the athletics centre.

We look forward to welcoming more students to after school PE extra-curricular athletics clubs on Mondays and Wednesdays to practice in preparation for the District Championships on June 21st.

Local Clubs The PE department met with Maldon District Council and are now proud to display information about local sports clubs. Take a look at the board and find out what clubs Maldon District Council offer in the local area, including who to contact and where they meet.

PE teacher, Mr Vince said: “All students taking or considering GCSE PE should be involved in a club outside of school; so as the board says: Get involved in local clubs."

Athletics Trials Students took part in athletics trials at Melbourne park on 4th May.

Callum Lloyd won the 800m race with a personal best of 2.05 and also won the High jump with a height of 1.70m!

Jack Hawkins came 3rd in the shotput with a distance of 10.40m.

Will Miller took part in the Javelin and came 6th.

PE teacher, Mr Becker said: “Students thinking of being selected for the District Athletics team MUST come to training on Monday and Wednesday after school.”

It’s all about rocket science!

UKAYRoC Year 9 students: Megan Davidson, Ben Griffiths, Rachel Cottee, Laura Spackman, and Nathaniel Head, participated in the South East Regional Final of the UK Aerospace Youth Rocketry Challenge (UKAYRoC) at Stow Maries Aerodrome. Ten teams competed for a place in the National Finals.

UKAYRoC encourages young people to enter the world of space and science and gain an insight into the aerospace industry’s engineering design and testing processes. Working with strict measurements and a target altitude of 850 feet, ORA students had to design and build a rocket using a basic kit which would carry two raw eggs and return them safely to the ground. Across the UK, more than 185 students and 34 teams took part in preliminary rounds designed to promote teamwork, creativity and innovation.

Rivers Academy students beat stiff competition to win a place in the National Finals. Science teacher, Ms Sametz said: “They started the day with a bang; all four motors working perfectly and the rocket shooting up to the clouds, for 46 seconds, just 1 second longer than desired. After experiencing technical issues with an altimeter and some explosive results, our students made it through to the top 20 teams going into the UKAYRoC National Final on 25th May. The team managed three launches before they had to call ‘Ground Control to Major Tom’ and retire their rocket after some fiery results!”

The event is organised by ADS, a UK trade organisation representing the aerospace, defence, security and space sectors. Chief Executive, Paul Everitt said: “Congratulations to Ormiston Rivers Academy, I wish them all the very best at the national final. There is a range of exciting, high-skill and well-paid career opportunities within aerospace and space for young people with strong maths and science qualifications. The UK Aerospace Youth Rocketry Challenge gives the next generation of engineers a chance to understand complex tasks faced by our industries’ engineers every day.”

The team are enthusiastically working on building a new rocket for the finals, but don’t worry, it’s not rocket science… oh wait, it is! It’s been a brilliant way to apply their maths and science knowledge outside of the classroom. We wish them success in their endeavours.

Ground Control to Major Tom!

Latest News from

UKAYRoC! ORA Rocketeers achieved 5th place in the

UKAYRoC National Competition on Wednesday 26th May. After almost 100 launches across the UK, our students placed fifth in the country, a huge success for our first year in the competition!

During the event, competitors are not allowed any help from staff as they set up their eggs and altimeters for the rocket launch.

Students were interviewed live with BBC Radio Wiltshire as well as recorded interviews with CBBC Newsround and ITV Anglia, so keep watching.

After the competition, there was an amazing air show demonstration and professional rocket launches.

Ms Sametz congratulated students on their outstanding achievements and thanked academy staff for their support. She added: “It really has been a spectacular challenge and I am so proud of everyone who took part. Our students are already looking forward to next year’s competition and planning to win!”

Archaeology Challenge Students took part in an annual archaeology challenge with Plume School and William de Ferrers. Organised and hosted by Cambridge University, it involved two days learning and practicing field archaeology skills followed by a third day visiting Cambridge University for lectures, a tour, and to learn more about the artefacts they discovered in their dig.

The dig took place around Southminster and students found pottery and other fragments of local life dating back to Roman times. They are now preparing their reports which will be marked by staff at Cambridge University.

ORA students took part in the National Theatre Connections project which offers an opportunity for school theatre groups to stage new plays written for young people, and to perform in leading theatres across the UK. It gives students experience of professional theatre-making and mirrors that of a company producing a new play in any theatre in the country.

Achievement Director and Performing Arts Teacher, Ms Goodfellow directed ‘Eclipse’, a play written by Simon Armitage which is set on a beach in Cornwall during the solar eclipse on 11th August 1999. Six friends are interviewed by the police after the disappearance of Lucy Lime, a strange unnerving girl who they meet just before the eclipse. Ms Goodfellow said: “I chose this play as I loved the mystery behind it. The character of Lucy intrigued me; how she suddenly appeared and then just as suddenly disappeared. As a company we played on the idea of Lucy being different, calm and untouched by others.”

The play was staged at the Academy on 13th April. Seven students from Years 9 and 13 performed: Steven Boyd, Ellie Lieberman, Maisie Grindly-Milner, Katie Tyrell, Ciaran O’Connor, Kobe Lynam and Bridget Bellamy. All props for the show were made by students from the Art department, and Year 11 student, Thomas Damps provided support in developing the sound effects and operating the lighting.

Directors from the National Theatre attended to watch and give feedback on the performance. Their comments included: “Congratulations! You have realised a strong production, with well thought-through character choices and an evident collaborative spirit.”

Mercury Theatre The cast of Eclipse took their performance to the Mercury Theatre in Colchester on Saturday 30th April. Students arrived in the morning for a look around the theatre and to settle into their dressing rooms. They participated enthusiastically in voice and movement workshops led by professional coaches and, after lunch, returned to the theatre for a technical run of the play.

Ms Goodfellow commented: “This went really well and gave us the opportunity to make a few refinements and add the finishing touches. At 6pm we went on stage. The students were incredible - they all gave the performance of their lives and made all staff and parents so proud. The whole experience of the National Theatre Connections youth theatre festival has been amazing from start to finish. We have gained so much from it and I am looking forward to doing it all again next year.”

Eclipse

Head of History, Mr Walker said: "Archaeology is hard work; not everyone gets to be Indiana Jones. However, the pay off from lots of careful work digging, mapping, drawing, & cleaning artefacts is that you can begin to see the bigger picture about what has happened in the past. Our students impressed everyone with their positive attitudes and hard work."

Students enjoyed the experience; Molly said: "I like that we learnt more about our local community and that we found things which will benefit research into the history of Southminster. I also liked that we were able to learn new things." Sally added: "The archaeology trip in Southminster was a new experience for me. I enjoyed meeting new people and liked learning more about local archaeology.”

Photography Photography Club is on Wednesdays after school. The aim of the club is to have fun learning about cameras and understanding how to produce amazing photographs on a wide range of topics.

Students have been experimenting with the effects and images they can create through the camera lens.

Each week there is a new ‘snap challenge’ such as colours, mirror images, reflections, and even a telephoto zoom quiz! Here are some of the mirror & reflections pictures.

Journalism Journalism club takes place on Mondays after school and the team have been busy producing the new issue of River View. Miss Price and Miss Lloyd guide the students in this project; they commented: “Our reporters are eager to show you some brand new features that really test their skills and we’ve been working closely with the Photography club, who have produced some excellent pictures to go alongside our articles. Watch this space!”

Gardening The Gardening Club have been growing ornamental flowering plants, vegetables and fruit from seed for the academy gardens, and students are growing some of the seedlings in their own gardens. They can also take home fresh, organically grown produce from the kitchen garden to be enjoyed by the whole family.

Wild flower seeds have been sown in the wildlife meadow to attract pollinating insects and to increase the biodiversity of the site. It is great to be learning outside in the fine weather!

The RE-Think Club have been raising awareness around International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia by selling cakes and

friendship braids during the week 15th-20th May. Students including Laura Spackman, Ben Griffiths, Nathaniel Head, Megan Davidson, Rachel Cottee and Ellen Fearns had already delivered assemblies to all year groups and subsequently raised £100.00 in the first two days of the charity event! All donations will be sent to Stonewall Charity who campaign for the equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people.

RE-Think Club meets every Friday 1:40pm in H22, Miss Marable's classroom. During the club we debate ethical issues featured in the press and run charity events. All year groups are welcome - speak to the club leaders Ben Griffiths and Laura Spackman in Year 9 for more details.

Bake Off Bake Off is on Mondays after school 3:20 to 4:20pm for Year 7 and 8 students, developing skills to those required at GCSE level.

Each week, students have a different recipe: they have baked cheese straws, blueberry muffins, pasta carbonara and fruit cheesecake. Other recipes to try will be chocolate mousse and cherry bakewells.

Baker of the week:

Milly Guilfoyle - pasta carbonara.

Daisy Mae-Baker - blueberry muffins.

Rachel Harvey - fruit cheesecake.

Youth Health

Champions Our Youth Health Champions are going from strength to strength - not only are they doing mentor time activities for Years 7 and 8, pointing out how kind words to others really make a difference, they are peer mentoring students. Feedback from parents has been very positive to date.

The Champions have been recently trained by Provide, part of the National Health Service, in supporting their peers and other students at school on topics such as:

healthy eating and snacks,

self-image,

keeping fit and feeling good,

substance and alcohol abuse.

This could be to do with you, your family or friends that concern you.

ORA students can talk to a Youth Health Champion on a one-to-one basis - please see Mrs Corr, Student Support Manager, to set up a meeting.

First Lego League Years 8 and 9 have been preparing to enter next year’s First Lego League - an international competition where students work on a project including a presentation on the subject and a Lego Mindstorms© robot challenge to solve puzzles.

Team leader, George Welham, Year 10, is helping the Year 8s and 9s develop skills in building and programming robots. He said: “This is a good way to get involved in computer science and robotics. Helping other students work on their projects and improve their programming skills to enable the robots to complete tasks is very rewarding.”

It is great to see a mixture of girls and boys joining this club and believe it will become even more popular when the current Year 7s can join in next year. The first round of the competition isn’t until December, but Head of Computing, Mr Conway, said “We need to start early to get students accustomed to how the robots are built and confident in using the software to programme the robots. I am amazed at the dedication and enthusiasm the students have shown so far and I am confident they are enjoying the challenge.”

27,729,983 words! Accelerated Reader for Years 7 & 8 is a Literacy programme that encourages students to engage with their personal reading through online quizzes. There are rewards for students that have shown dedication to their reading. So far this year, there have been 798 quizzes passed and 27,729,983 words read by our KS3. Our top readers (with over a million words each) are Ben Haley and Eden Pennycott.

Football Journalism

A group of KS3 boys took a tour of Colchester United and watched the Colchester vs Doncaster game.

The trip aimed to encourage students to engage with literacy in a more creative way by linking the love of the ‘Beautiful Game’ with a sense of achievement in their follow up work. They had a wonderful time and really engaged with their note taking in preparation for their journalistic reports.

Literacy Co-ordinator, Ms Bowtell said: “Some fantastic extended writing has been done in reaction to this trip and a display will be available soon.”

Science Science club is open to Years 7 and 8 on Thursday lunchtimes. This half term we have made our own lava lamps and batteries from fruit and vegetables.

Students have requested interesting demos such as elephant’s toothpaste and spinning fire in a bin.

We are growing our own sunflowers and have also “magically” turned copper coins to silver and then gold!

Our Youth Health Champions

Community

Morning Rivers Sixth Form students, Phoebe Staniforth and Ruby Button, organised a community morning in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society.

The event formed part of their Enterprise, Employability and Personal Finance project with the aim of bringing the community closer together and raising money for the charity. Invited guests were treated to musical performances from talented students and had an opportunity to meet with people from our local and wider community. Refreshments and cakes were available with all donations going to the Alzheimer’s Society.

Allison Barton, emailed on behalf of Warwick Court residents to say: “I have had many comments on how much they enjoyed the event. The pupils, both from Ormiston and from the primary school, were delightful. It’s lovely that we now have a school to be proud of in the town and we wish you all well in your fundraising for such a good cause.”

Phoebe and Ruby raised over £175 at the community morning. They said: “We are so grateful for the community

Internet Safety The Academy was very pleased to welcome Ms Lorin LaFave, from the Breck Foundation to talk with students, parents and staff about e-safety and the tragic experiences of her son, Breck Bednar. Several meetings and presentations took place during March and April focussing on how young people can enjoy using the internet safely and avoid dangerous situations, online grooming and bullying.

At the parent’s meeting on Thursday 14th April, Principal Ms Costello presented a cheque for £269 to Ms LaFave, raised by the Academy for #NoTech4Breck in support of this worthwhile and important cause.

Head of ICT, Ms Mullender, also encouraged students to take part in Safer Internet Day, organised by the UK Safer Internet Centre, which promotes the safe and responsible use of online technology and mobile phones for young people. The theme, play your part for a better internet, focussed on creative and positive ways to work online, as well as highlighting the role everyone plays in helping to create a better internet.

Ms Costello presents a cheque for £269 to Ms LaFave

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coming together in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society. 100% of this money will go to the charity to help fund research towards a cure for the illness and to support people currently suffering. We felt that the event went very well and hope that other students at the school will be encouraged to continue doing good things for the community. Thank you to all those that helped on the day.”

Magistrates’ Competition On 5th March the Academy’s Year 9 team won the local heat in the Magistrates’ Court Mock Trial competition. They then went on to prepare a new case to take to the regional heat where they competed in a field of 10 schools from across the South East region. The aim of this initiative is to introduce young people to the legal system in an innovative and motivational way. Students take on the roles of lawyers, witnesses, magistrates and court staff to prosecute and defend specifically written criminal cases. Schools compete against each other in actual Magistrates’ Courts in front of real Magistrates and court personnel.

On Saturday 14th May, Ms Goodfellow and Mrs Wells accompanied our team to Chelmsford Crown Court to participate in the regional heats of the competition. Students had worked very hard preparing their roles and arrived dressed for the part. In the first round our prosecution team took on Hardwick High School from Suffolk. Our lawyers questioned confidently and the prosecution witnesses underwent tough cross-examination. In the second round our defence team were up against The Campion School from Havering. They started well with a passionate opening speech, but our defence rallied and fought to secure the 'not guilty' verdict.

Ms Goodfellow, Raising Standards Leader & Achievement Director for Year 9 said: “Our students were excellent and did themselves and the Academy proud. We didn't win this time, but the Year 9 team are already planning how they can act as coaches to help next years' team progress even further in the competition.”

Maths School Year 6 pupils from the Dengie Primary Schools were invited to attend an Easter Maths School at the Academy, led by both primary and secondary teachers. Over 50 children took part in maths lessons, as well as cross curricular links through cooking, history, music, ICT and PE. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the days and

received a goodie bag with maths equipment and were rewarded with prizes for attendance and effort.

Alfie Damps from Burnham on Crouch Primary School said: “I was a bit nervous about doing extra maths in the holidays, but the Maths School was really fun and interesting. I learned a lot and I am really looking forward to starting at Ormiston Rivers in September." Mrs Turnnidge, Year 7 Achievement Director commented: “I was extremely pleased to see so many primary school pupils attend during the Easter break. It was a fantastic opportunity for them to meet children from other schools and revise key areas of maths in preparation for secondary school.”

Young mathematicians

Hanging

Baskets April sees the beginning of the annual hanging basket challenge.

This year, students from the newly formed Gardening Club are joining in the Garden Project to make hanging Baskets for Burnham Town Council. It is the twelfth year the school has undertaken this project to improve the local environment for our community, local businesses and visitors.

Everyone works as a team to produce 75 baskets and students learn how to mass produce a quality product and work to a strict timeline. The baskets will be hung along station Road and the High Street by a team of volunteers during June.

We would like to extend our thanks to Maldon District Council and Burnham Town Council for their assistance with the scheme and for giving our students the opportunity to showcase their gardening skills.

Volunteer Garden Project Co-ordinator, Mrs Carol Milton encourages students to learn about horticulture and said: “This is a great way to start finding out about plants and we also look after the Academy’s organic kitchen garden. The annual hanging basket challenge is welcomed by our green fingered students who thoroughly enjoy planting the baskets, watching them grow and seeing the flowers in the high street.”

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Examinations 2016 You can collect your results from the school on the following dates:

GCE - Thursday 18th August 9.00am to 11.30am.

GCSE - Thursday 25th August 9.00am to 11.30am.

Results not collected on the above dates will be unavailable until the school re-opens in September 2016.

Exam results must be collected by the candidate; if you wish an adult to collect your results for you, they must have a letter signed by you authorising collection, with a phone number you can be reached on to confirm the arrangements. Exam results will not be given to other students or over the phone under any circumstances.

If you wish your results to be posted, please send a self-addressed A4 envelope, with a 1st class LARGE stamp, to Mrs Clark, Examinations Officer.

Certificates will be available in November 2016, and can be collected from the school during term time between 9.00am and 3.00pm. The school will not post exam certificates and will only hold certificates for 1 year, after which time they will be returned to the Exam Board to be destroyed. Exam Boards will not produce duplicate/copy certificates.

If you have any queries, please speak to: Mrs L Clark on (01621) 787861.

Juvenile Dance Chorus

You may be interested in the various shows and live screenings we have on offer at Chelmsford City Theatres that can provide valuable learning experiences for students.

We are currently looking for talented dancers, both boys and girls, to audition for the Juvenile Dance Chorus in this year’s exciting pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk. The

last two pantomimes we have had (Aladdin and Peter Pan) have broken sales records, with Jack and the Beanstalk already looking to match this success.

Candidates need to be between 13-19 years old on 1 December 2016, have a love for performing arts, and also be prepared to dance on their own during the audition. This is a fantastic opportunity for students studying or interested in dance & drama.

Heather Barras, Arts Marketing Officer, Chelmsford City Theatres, Chelmsford City Council T: 01245 606271 www.chelmsford.gov.uk/theatres

Dates for your diary May 2016

16th - 28th June Public Examinations

30th - 3/6 Half Term

June 2016

15th Governor’s meeting

17th Primary Schools Sports training day

20th - 27th Prize Giving Assemblies

21st District Sports

21st Year 5 Maths Quiz

24th Primary Schools Gifted & Talented Dance Day

24th Rivers Sixth Form Summer Ball

25th Used uniform sale 11:00am - 2:00pm

28th Year 11 Prom

29th & 30th Year 5 Day

30th - 5th July Scholastic Book Fair

30th Year 8 Graduation Ceremony

July 2016

1st Primary Schools Dengie Sports Day

4th Year 6 day & Transition evening

5th - 7th Gym & Dance Show

6th - 7th Sixth Form Induction Day

8th - 29th World Challenge Expedition Yr 10/11/12

8th Year 8 Graduation Disco

12th Prize Giving

15th Last day of term - students finish at 1:30pm

August 2016

18th GCE examination results

25th GCSE examination results

September 2016

1st First day of Autumn term (non pupil day)

2nd Years 7 & 12 return to school

5th Whole school returns

Speak Out! Jack Petchey’s “Speak Out” Challenge! encourages people of all ages and abilities to develop the skill, confidence and aspiration to speak in public. It is run by Speakers Trust, funded by the Jack Petchey Foundation and available to every state secondary school in London and Essex.

25 Year 10 students participated in a whole day workshop led by Jonathan Drew from the Speakers Trust on 20th April. During the workshop, students learnt techniques to deliver and present a speech to an audience with confidence and impact and mastered the art of speaking without notes. They gave and received verbal feedback about their presentations and understood the importance of structured arguments.

Jonathan Drew commented: “What a great day on the East Essex Speak Out Challenge. The students were bright, enthusiastic and a joy to work with. The quality of the speeches in the last session varied across the spectrum in terms of content and delivery yet all were extremely well structured and encouraging. In short it was a real joy working with your students. I was certainly impressed by all their efforts.”

Students commented that the programme had boosted their confidence to present a speech, listen to others, structure and develop opinions, and that they enjoyed learning in a workshop format. Amy said: “The workshop taught me not only about how to present my opinions, but how to structure and develop them to make people listen, without having to stress out.” Hermione added: “Today's training has helped me significantly build up my confidence as a person; and not be afraid of talking in big groups.”

Five students then competed for a place to represent the Academy. Faith Foakes, Rebecca Mahoney, Ciaran Pittaway, Amelia Richardson and Amy Cooper confidently presented their speeches to a panel of judges including Principal, Ms Costello and Head of Performing Arts & Drama, Miss Davies. Amelia was selected to go forward to the Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge 2016 at St Benedict's Catholic College, Colchester on 17th May where she competed against 18 schools.

Miss Davies commented: “Amelia’s performance in the finals was exceptional and she represented the Academy extremely well. She was supported by family, friends and 6 members of staff including Principal, Ms Costello and Vice Principal, Mrs Morrish. The standard was incredibly high this year and we look forward to competing again next year.”

Exceptional

Achievement This year, Principal Ms Costello has hosted several tea parties to celebrate student achievements.

The winners and runners-up of the Ormiston Academies Trust and our own Academy Christmas card competitions along with Head of Art & Design, Miss Hopkins met for tea and cakes. Chloe Smith, Year 10, won the OAT competition and Megan Hurford, Year 8, won the ORA competition.

Rivers Sixth Form were congratulated on their superb achievements in the Gepp & Sons Schools’ Legal Debate at Anglia Ruskin University where they were placed second against a wide range of schools from across the county.

Also at the celebration were students who won the local heat of the Aspirations in Business Challenge organised by the Essex Institute of Directors. This competition was an excellent opportunity for young people to practice their business skills and gain experience of networking and communicating with like-minded students. Head of Rivers Sixth Form, Mr Player and Head of Religious Studies & Social Sciences, Miss Nickson, joined in the celebrations.

Ms Costello commented: “The afternoon teas for exceptional achievement are a wonderful opportunity to meet with our outstanding students and talk about their academic and creative accomplishments. Well done to all!”

Careers Fair

On Wednesday 27th April, the Academy held its

first Careers Fair. Students from Years 9 to 13 were invited, with their parents/carers, to come along, with a view to gathering information on the vast array of career/higher education options available to them. Exhibitors came from local and national companies, universities and colleges. There were representatives from the Armed Forces, Essex Fire & Rescue, local funeral director, Paul J King, Network Rail, law firm, Nabarro, RES Ltd, and many more.

Students were able to talk to exhibitors about possible careers in Chemical Engineering, Hotel Management, Construction, Engineering and were also able to ask for advice from universities such as University Campus Suffolk & Anglia Ruskin and colleges; Chelmsford College and South Essex.

Tracy Scott, Project Manager at RES, responsible for Turncole Wind Farm, attended the careers evening, and commented: “We thoroughly enjoyed exhibiting at the careers evening and had a number of really productive conversations where we could give advice to those thinking about pursuing a career in renewable energy and science and engineering related spheres. Education is at the heart of the RES ethos and we hope we brought some value to the evening by sharing our career experiences to date and demonstrating that there are a number of paths to pursue to explore a career in this field.”

The event was supported by Louise Brazier of Directions IAG Ltd. who provides independent careers advice and guidance to students. Weekly appointments are available with her to discuss career pathways, opportunities and higher education options. Support with CV writing and personal statements is also available.

Alan Stanford from the East Anglia division of the Institute of Chemical Engineers e-mailed the Academy, “The careers event was well-organised and well attended and was

What are my views on

Wind Farms? During the Spring term, Year 8 students were asked to write an article on, “What are my views on wind farms”. They were asked to write up to 250 words; those entering could be one of 8 students to win the chance to visit Turncole Wind Farm and participate in a project to document the changing nature of the wind farm on the marshes, its construction and the environmental effects and sustainability.

The project is sponsored by RES Ltd, an innovative and influential leader in the global sustainable energy market and will involve a trip to the windfarm site and a joint production of a journal to record its development.

After much deliberation the winning entries were selected by Miss Judge, Head of Humanities at the Academy, and Mr Spratt, Geography teacher and project leader. The winners are:

Michael Scott, Madeline Owen, Oliver Rivers, Aimee Freeman, Joseph Green, Joseph Murray, Natasha Godfrey, Skye Ng.

They will be visiting the site on 10th June to begin this amazing project and we will keep you posted on progress in our half termly newsletter.

worth attending as an exhibitor. I spoke to at least 15 sets of students who are interested in a possible career within the industry.”

Two students have been offered some work experience within the engineering division of Network Rail as a result of their enquiries at the careers fair. This will definitely become an annual event and the Academy are now planning to expand it with an even more diverse range of exhibitors attending next year.

Buckingham

Palace On Thursday 12th May, Emily Darling in Year 12 was invited to attend the 50th Birthday celebrations of Barnardo’s Children’s Charity at Buckingham Palace!

Emily was invited due to the continuous help that she provides in fundraising for the charity.

She found the day very exciting: “There were over 8000 people invited. We were served high tea after entering through the Palace gates where we were then entertained by a military band. Whilst there, we were lucky enough to meet HRH Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, HRH Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy and HRH Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester. It was a once in a lifetime experience.”

Extended Project This year, a record number of Sixth Form students have submitted a Level 3 Extended Project.

Year 13 student, Emma Welham, achieved 100% for her investigation into the accuracy

of alcohol percentage labelling in the UK.

Students have produced exceptional pieces of work with such diverse topics as:

What are the neurological effects of a vegan

lifestyle? Fin McSean

Should the UK government continue to fund

manned space exploration? Oliver Cattell

Why has celebrity status become such a focus

for young people in the 21st century? Tamara Cleverley

To what extent have we improved the lives of individuals affected by Cystic Fibrosis in today’s society? Amy Yeldham

To what extent has tourism damaged Southeast

Asian culture? Edward White

To what extent would Brexit affect London’s

markets? Sophie Green

In addition to these dissertation projects, some students produced artefacts, such as:

Rachel Hayter’s Post-WW2 inspired wedding

dress.

Harry Ford’s conceptual art based on the

“Black Lives Matter” movement.

Head of Rivers Sixth Form, Mr Player said: “All of our students have performed excellently, and special mention must go to Emma Welham for her fantastic achievement. Well done to all students!

Summer School A number of students in the Sixth Form have applied to attend an array of Summer Schools run by UK universities this year. This is a fantastic opportunity to experience life at the university, the unique nature of the collegiate systems and lectures and seminars in their chosen subject fields.

University of Cambridge

Emily Darling, Lilly Taylor-Hancock and Leah Griffin have all been accepted on places at the University of Cambridge. The three students will also be staying on campus for the duration of the

Exceptional work by our Sixth Form students

Summer School and are greatly looking forward to the prospect of immersing themselves in university life.

Lindenwood University,

Missouri

Megan Fuller will be travelling in the summer term to the United States of America to spend time at Lindenwood University, Missouri.

This is part of Megan’s goal to study in the USA after completing her A-Levels in the Sixth Form.

We wish all our students the very best for

their travels.

Contact Us

Principal: Ms J Costello BA (Hons), PGCE, NPQH

Ormiston Rivers Academy

Southminster Road

Burnham-on-Crouch

Essex CM0 8QB

t: 01621 782377

e: info@ormistonriversacademy.co.uk

w: www.ormistonriversacademy.co.uk

Rotary Youth

Leaders Award (RYLA) In our fourth year of entering this competition, a good uptake of students put themselves forward in an attempt to win the title for Ormiston Rivers Academy for a third time. Students spent a day at Danbury Outdoor Centre completing a number of team building activities including high ropes, low ropes and problem solving tasks.

They had a fantastic time learning new skills, testing themselves in challenging and risky situations and learning to work with other students to achieve positive outcomes.

PE Teacher and Achievement Director, Miss Nicholls said: “I am pleased to announce that several ORA students have had their well-earned places at the final weekend confirmed. May I take this opportunity to wish them all the very best of luck.”

RYLA Update -

excellent news!

Alan Patterson of the Rotary Club has emailed the Academy with the results from this year’s RYLA competition: “I am delighted to advise you that it has just been announced that out of over 60 students that started the program, students from Ormiston Rivers Academy have been placed as follows:

1st place Emily Symons

2nd place Jodie Morhall

4th place James Tavner

Congratulations to Emily, Jodie and James. As a club we will be making a presentation of certificates to them as well as Dylan Collingbourne who narrowly missed getting to the final.” S

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Wicked

30 students in Miss Goodfellow’s Art Award class went to a matinee performance of the musical ‘Wicked’ at the Apollo Theatre in London on Wednesday 18th May. Part of their course work requires students to ‘be the audience’ by attending a performance such as a musical, play or concert and giving written feedback about it.

Everyone was very excited to have this amazing opportunity to see the 5 star rated show based on the story of the Wicked Witch of the West from the famous tale ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ written by L. Frank Baum and first published in 1900.

Students and staff had a great time in London. Mrs Brigui, Teaching and Learning Support at the Academy, said that many students had commented how much they appreciated the skill involved in producing a long running west end show and were impressed with the music, staging and lighting.