viewin The news magazine of Prince Henry’s Grammar School Specialist Language College

Volume 18 Autumn 2006

Fashion paradeTextiles students showcase their work

Proud of the past, prepared for the future

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Where on

New friends in Nepal

Making international friends

THE numbers round was their speciality – but the whole day was a winner when Year 11 pupils visited the Yorkshire TV studios to watch three editions of Countdown being filmed as a reward for their excellent Maths exam results.

Des Lynam and Carol Vorderman were very welcoming and comedian Jo Brand kept us entertained from Dictionary Corner. The shows

were screened at the beginning of November and Prince Henry’s got a mention at the beginning of their 24th anniversary

show. Pupils behaved impeccably and were thrilled to see a TV studio in action.

Jill Whieldon, Annie Cunniffe

Reward trip: Year 11 pupils visited the set of Countdown.

SIGNIFICANT progress has been made in improving access from Newall Carr Road, ahead of the building work that commences in February.

The new Science block, reception and link corridor are the first phase in a complete redevelopment and refurbishment of the whole site. The architects have produced a project that will meet the school’s needs and provide some very impressive design features.

John Dean

PUPILS from Years 10 and 11 got an insight into what it is like to be a Member of Parliament when Greg Mulholland MP came to school.

He spoke as part of the Representation Enhanced Curriculum Day, which focused on voting and the importance of participation. All pupils had the opportunity to vote in a secret ballot for their

Form Representatives to be members of the Year Council.

Our out-going Student Council members were highly successful last year, securing a budget for the first time and raising some important student issues – such as the availability of drinking water throughout the school day.

Delia Orton

YEAR 7 pupils had a splashing time of it when they visited the Nell Bank Centre near Ilkley as part of their induction to Prince Henry’s.

Everyone took part in activities that encouraged communication skills, teambuilding and trust within the group. Pupil response was enthusiastic. “It was a great way to make new friends – co-operation is really important,” said one pupil.

Year 7 spearheaded this year’s fundraising by

recommending the Teenage Cancer Trust and the Martin House children’s hospice to the School Council as Prince Henry’s chosen charities for 2006. Fundraising events included a Market Place, where each form sold goods they had produced previously, contributing more than £1,800 to the fund.

The Teenage Cancer Trust provides specialist care for youngsters who would otherwise be treated in children’s or adult wards.

Angela St John

Outdoor adventure: Year 7 pupils at Nell Bank.

Active participation for Year 7

Voters have their say

New build update

Political visit: Greg Mulholland MP with John Dean.

Results bring rewards

Awards for attendance: Jordan Brown and Sophie Blackburn, Year 9.

Good taste: Our pupils sampled

foreign cuisine.

Culture trip: Year 10 pupils in China.Rewards for attendance are to be given an exciting new element, following a successful pilot with Year 9.

Each week in assembly prizes will be drawn – including CDs donated by Radio Aire – for those with a 100 per cent attendance record.

“My year group loved it and are eager to win the prizes,” commented Nick Cook, Head of Year 9.

Nick Cook

earthhave you been recently?

NEW links were forged when Prince Henry’s hosted two guests all the way from Nepal.

Durga and Kamala Pageni (pictured right with teacher Alex Belton) are founder and principal of Balodaya English Boarding School in Pokhara. The friendship began in July through email contact and has continued to blossom, with curriculum projects already under way. On their visit the two teachers worked primarily with Year 7 pupils, who have begun correspondence with pupils in Pokhara.

Year 9 pupils and Sixth Form students also enjoyed the opportunity to learn about Nepalese culture and way of life. We hope to develop this friendship over the coming months as communication continues between our schools.

Alex Belton

In addition, as part of our Comenius project with Italy and Poland, Year 12 students took part in a visit to our partner Polish school in Bielsk Podlaski.

During the five-day trip, led by Chris Lillington, Annie Cunniffe and Cath Wright, students spent time in school working alongside their Italian and Polish counterparts. The project focuses on the similarities and differences between our countries in cultural aspects such as food, superstitions and music.

Highlights included a visit to Warsaw and an Orthodox Church mass, and Polish folk-dancing round a traditional bonfire.

Finally, pupils from Years 8 and 9 gave a warm welcome to 24 exchange pupils from the Collège Paul Eluard, our partner school in Otley’s twin town of Montereau.

The programme included excursions to Saltaire, Howarth and the Thackray Museum, and a special Food Technology lesson.

Christopher Lillington

EIGHTEEN Year 10 pupils headed for China in October to visit Xuejun High, our partner school in Hangzhou.

Led by John Dean and Jill Whieldon, the ten-day trip included visits to the Lingying Temple and the water town of Wuzheng, as well as a calligraphy workshop. Shortly before the exchange Headteacher John Steel attended the school’s 50th anniversary celebrations and was interviewed on Chinese television – which broadcasts to the population of 1.3 billion people!

Meanwhile, Year 11 Fast Track pupils visited Berlin in September to consider the city’s former East-West division and the difference between capitalism and communism.

Visits included the Checkpoint Charlie Museum and the hands-on GDR Museum, where pupils could “drive” a Trabant and feel what it was like to live under the East German regime.

Everyone had the chance to practise their German and make international friends at the youth hostel.

Passport to Poland: Year 12 students enjoyed the Comenius project trip.

Dressed for the occasion: Shahnoor Amir and Sally Goodall, Year 10.

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NVQ Media students are on the ball

IN February 39 pupils will be visiting Les Menuires in the prestigious Trois Vallés region of the French Alps.

The more advanced skiers will be able to explore the Val Thorens glacier, and everyone will enjoy the après-ski activities, including the now-legendary talent show.

Later this term we will announce the 2008 USA ski trip to Sunday River in Maine – our fourth trip to this superb resort, where the locals have taken us to their hearts.

There are 80 places available – we expect them to be snapped up immediately.

Sian Ellis

Skiers head for the slopes

across the schoolTeam effort for netballers

THE West Yorkshire Invitation Tournament held in September is for the league and tournament winners from each of the five West Yorkshire regions; Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield. We qualified in the U12 (now in Year 8) and U13 (now in Year 9) rounds as both teams won the Leeds SNA League in the 2005/2006 season. Both teams got through to the semi finals and were the only state school left in the event. It was a good experience for all those who played.

Meanwhile, England Netball has now established a procedure for Long Term Athlete Development that falls in line with

all other National Governing Bodies. The new structure consists of a District Squad, with the best players from Leeds schools; a Satellite Academy with the best players from across West Yorkshire and a Regional Academy involving the best players from across North, South and West Yorkshire and Humberside.

It is a credit to the girls involved, the parents willing to support their daughters by transporting them to and from training and to the teachers who have developed their skills that so many PHGS pupils are chosen for representative honours.

Sarah Grant

Passion for sport rewardedYEAR 11 pupil Rebecca Jackson suffers from Usher syndrome, a condition which means she is visually impaired and partially deaf – and could lose both her sight and her hearing completely at any time.

Rebecca feels a strong passion for sport, and was encouraged to take the short-course GCSE in PE, given her love of athletics and rugby. At the school’s annual prize-giving assembly she was awarded the Margaret Crossfield Trophy for perseverance in sport.

This is the first time the trophy has been awarded. It is named after and was presented by Margaret Crossfield, who retired in the summer after 29 years of dedicated service as School Matron.

Rebecca received the award for overcoming tremendous physical difficulties and never giving up.

“It was a very emotional presentation for both myself and Rebecca,” said Margaret.

Jo Temple

Academy stars: Neal Clarke, Jack Mackie, Toby Gillatt, Sam Coates, Tom Dyson, Joel Gill and Alex Black, Year 12.

Perfect union for rugby academy

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Great achievement: Year 11 pupil Rebecca Jackson.

Net gain: Rose Brannelly, Year 11, and Jade Firth, Year 8, two of the girls taking part in the Long Term Athlete Development programme.

PUPILS from the Rugby Academy have also been spending time in the Department learning filming and editing techniques, which they will use to analyse matches and their own performance.

Sporting success

A NUMBER of students have joined the Sixth Form at Prince Henry’s as part of the England Rugby Football Union’s Academy programme.

Having been identified for their sporting potential, these students are currently undertaking specialist fitness and conditioning training alongside their academic studies, which include an Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence.

Prince Henry’s is one of only 14 national academies offering this unique opportunity to our future England rugby stars.

“We are delighted to work with Prince Henry’s Grammar School in piloting the RFU Academies NVQ scheme in Sporting Excellence,” says Stuart Lancaster, Director of Rugby with Leeds Tykes. One of the criteria when looking for a suitable partner for the programme was a positive educational environment with an

excellent academic record, and a strong tradition in rugby union, with Physical Education expertise that could lead, manage and deliver a programme of this importance.

“Prince Henry’s Grammar School fulfils all these criteria and more, and we look forward to developing this partnership in the future, with the school being a leading provider nationally for the Sporting Excellence scheme,” explains Stuart.

John Dean

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AMERICAN teacher Cory Wanamaker has joined the staff at Prince Henry’s as part of the Fulbright International Teacher Exchange to bring mutual understanding for both countries.

Meanwhile, Prince Henry’s Shane Green is spending the year at Cory’s school, the Manheim Central Senior High in Pennsylvania. The two teachers will be leading joint projects between the two schools, with pupils working alongside their counterparts from across the ocean.

Cory Wanamaker

International exchange: Art teacher Cory Wanamaker.

Exchange is a work of art

AS part of the Ilkley Literature Festival, award-winning children’s writer Malorie Blackman came to Prince Henry’s Grammar School in October to talk about her work as an author, whose credits include Noughts and Crosses and Pig-Heart Boy.

This exciting event involved pupils from Prince Henry’s Grammar School as well as pupils from across the region. The festival coincides with the English Department’s passion for extra-curricular reading – the school currently runs two reading groups.

Annie Cunniffe

Author proves big attraction

Bookworms: George Buxey, Year 7, Rhiannon Clarke, Year 9, and Florence Oxley-Ellinson, Year 11, with Malorie Blackman and Head of English Annie Cuniffe.

Video edit: Melissa Slater, Laura Butlin, Ben Jenner, Giles Gobey, Craig King, Mark Dickinson, Ben Cawkwell and Fraser Jolly, Year 12.

IT’S a busy time for the Media Studies Department.

In September, 28 Applied A-level students spent a day at the Derek Fatchett City Learning Centre in Leeds, getting to grips with advanced filming techniques, such as how to use chroma key “green screen” technology, and took part in a lighting workshop, as well as being initiated into the mysteries of camera dollies and tracking shots.

The students also took part in a special-effects make-up

workshop, where they inflicted horrible-looking injuries on themselves. Having learned the basics, students will return to the City Learning Centre to film some of their own projects.

Finally, due to the current building works, Media Studies has had to move to temporary accommodation. Although inconvenient, it does provide the Department with two dedicated Media classrooms and an editing suite.

Sian Ellis

Cutting edge MediaPUPILS in Years 7 and 8 were eagerly prepared for Enterprise week, held in November.

More than 100 pupils formed businesses to sell products of their own making and were busy learning to work in teams, meet deadlines, and market and sell their product, with a percentage of the proceeds going to charity.

Meanwhile, two Sixth Form groups are among 40 teams developing their business skills in a challenging Leeds Enterprise competition.

Each team will make a product or design a service to be sold to the local community. The teams are measured on their marketing plans, financial awareness, sales and promotion ability and the level of profit they generate.

Belinda Hall

Big business through teamwork

Business minds: Year 7 pupils Georgia Longfield, modelling one of the team’s creations, with Rebecca Wiltshire and Matilda Aylward and FUSION, the Year 12 Leeds Enterprise Challenge Team.

CONNEXIONS is pleased to have appointed ten Year 9 pupils as Connexions Access Point assistants.

Every lunchtime they can be found in the Information Library, helping other pupils with queries and keeping the information tidy and organised. It is a wonderful opportunity for the young people involved, and it allows pupils to talk to

their peers about anything, from careers to other concerns – which can sometimes be easier than talking to adults.

“It’s good helping other people – it takes trust and responsibility, and I’ve got lots more confidence now,” commented Connexions assistant Amy Wise.

Jen Owst

Our able assistants

Cooking on the menu

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PRINCE Henry’s hosted its first fashion show of the year in November.

The show contained pupils’ work from their Textiles courses and featured the A/W 06 collections from street-wear labels Bench and Hooch. Pupils provided all the light, sound and stage arrangements, as well as modelling the outfits.

Gina WilliamsFOOD in schools has had a lot of negative press recently, so it is refreshing to see that at Prince Henry’s the focus is on healthy eating. “Good healthy food has always been a priority,” explains Food Technology teacher Alyson Pearce. “We work hard to instil a healthy ethos and we try to make it fun. At

our very popular after-school Cookery Club sessions I have been teaching pupils how to cook healthily, starting with the basics and moving on to more impressive dishes and dinner-party food. We’re oversubscribed – pupils love it!”

Cooking lessons are open to all pupils from Years 8 to 13, and new pupils are welcome to put their names down to join.

The Cookery Club has been busy raising funds to support the children’s charity ChildLine.

“I mentioned the idea to pupils that they might want to support the charity – they jumped at the chance,” Alyson explained. “I was really impressed with their support.” Pupils made cookies and fruit smoothies and their efforts were a complete sell-out. In total they raised £72 for ChildLine.

Cookery Club continues to be a success – this term they are focusing on seasonal food products.

Meanwhile, also in the Technology Department, Year 9 Product Design pupils bagged a good idea when they printed their own designs on biodegradable hemp bags in a bid to help the environment by reducing the use of plastic bags – a great way to combine technology with helping the environment.

Nicola Doherty and Dawn Smith

Charity bake: Catherine Hide, Alice Humphrys, Joshua Rothery and Ryan Hall, Year 8.

Off the catwalk: Jodie Rockett, Amy Coates, Nicola Verity, Natasha Green, Megan Woodier and Sam Cockshott, Year 12.

Focus on fashion

Farnley Lane, Otley, West Yorkshire LS21 2BB.

Prince Henry’s Grammar SchoolSPECIALIST LANGUAGE COLLEGE

Tel: (01943) 463524 Fax: (01943) 850978Website: www.princehenrys.co.uk

INVIEW Editorial Co-ordinator: Wendy Smith

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Music to our ears

PUPILS and staff came together to sing a “Song for Peace” on World Peace Day in September.

The song, titled No Wars Will Stop Us Singing, inspired pupils to raise the roof of the Main Hall while promoting a valuable message. Prince Henry’s was just one of hundreds of schools across the country to perform this song on the day.

“It was wonderful to hear our pupils singing for such a poignant cause,” said Music teacher Cath Wright.

Members of all the school’s extra-curricular musical ensembles took part in the annual Autumn Concert in November. Groups such as PHOJO, Junior and Senior Choir, Concert Band and the newly formed Soul Band performed to an appreciative audience with a wide

variety of music, ranging from Mussorgsky to Aretha Franklin.

Tickets are available from the Music Department for the school’s Christmas Concert, to be held on Monday 18 December at 7.30pm in Main Hall. All the ensembles and soloists will perform pieces to get you in the Christmas mood, as well as some communal carols to join in with.

More than 100 pupils auditioned for parts in the school’s upcoming production of Grease, and rehearsals are now under way.

The show will run at Prince Henry’s from 30 January to 3 February and tickets will be available from the Main Office after Christmas. Matthew Barton, Year 12, who is playing Doody, described the music from the show as “well cool”.

Lucy Greenwood

Pupils sing for peace

Musical message: Some of the World Peace Day singers.

Orchestral manoeuvres in ChinaWHILE visiting Hangzhou on the school’s exchange trip to China, pupils from Prince Henry’s were stunned to see fellow pupil Jason Jones, Year 9, appearing on television.

Jason is a highly talented flautist and

was performing with the National Children’s Orchestra as part of the Beijing Music Festival. The orchestra was on a tour of China, visiting many of the famous sites, including the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and the Terracotta Army. Jason had a fantastic trip and was amazed to hear that we had seen him on TV. He has been a member of the National Junior Orchestra for a year and has performed in front of thousands at Leeds and Cardiff.

The orchestra is now preparing for a Christmas Concert in London.

Jill Whieldon

Hitting the right note: Year 9 pupil Jason Jones.