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“Outstanding Progress for All” STOWUPLAND HIGH SCHOOL
Newsletter February 2019
S P R I N G
T e r m 1
2
Headteacher’s Note
UPDATES
UPDATES
House System
Year 7
Year 8
Year 9
Deep learning day
enrichment
Year 10
Year 11
Sports
Art
contents
3
headteacher
Absence
01449 742428
www.stowuplandhighschool.co.uk
Dear Parents, Carers and Families
Welcome to our February half term newsletter that I hope you enjoy. We have had an
incredibly busy half term, which closed with the final performance of High School
Musical. The cast members were absolutely spectacular and have been very well
supported by staff and students working backstage. The success of the show has been
down to a real community effort, with Y12 Business Studies students leading the event
management and raising a staggering amount of money for their chosen charity. We
have begun this half term with mock exams for Y11 students and wish them all the very
best as they prepare for their final exams.
I hope you all had a very enjoyable half term.
Best wishes
Ms Baster
Head Teacher
4
UPDATES Prefects & Student Leadership
At the end of the Autumn Term KS4 students were asked to apply to become school
prefects in a new initiative for student leadership here at Stowupland High School.
After submitting a successful application, 17 prefects have now been appointed. All 17
students from KS4 have undertaken training with Mr Appleford to prepare them for their
role. Training has included how to be a good leader, roles and expectations, prefect
identity, being a good role model, dealing with confrontation and completing school
duties.
The prefects have already commenced their duties by supporting school events, having
duty days and supplying further student voice and perception.
The students will be receiving rewards and privileges for this role.
Congratulations to all!
Student Tutor Group
Leonie Prior 11NH
Harmony Hill 11NA
Oliver Pile 11NH
Jamie Potter-Steel 11NH
Caitlin Hurn 11ED
James Faiers 11NH
Zuzanna Wojciechowska 11MDH
Lottie Chapman 10CG
Amelia Creighton 10RP
Libby Stinson 10RLB
Olivia Turland 10RP
Daisy Cridge 10CG
Finley Jaggard 10CG
Fred Allsop 10KL
Timothy Gourlay 10CG
Oliver Fitzsimons 10CG
India Wyatt 10RLB
Mr Appleford
5
UPDATES Many of our students have an attendance rate of between 90-95%. However, this is still
equivalent to FOUR WEEKS of missing lessons in a school year at Stowupland High
School .
This amount of time out of lessons will have a huge impact on a student’s success.
Statistics show that those with over 93% attendance are more likely to achieve 5 GCSEs
at grades 9-4 (old grading system = A* to C). In fact, they have a 74.3% chance of
success compared to a 44.6% chance if their attendance is 90-91%. Those with
attendance of less than 80% only have a 26.7% of achieving success at GCSE.
Research shows that if a student misses 17 days of school, their GCSE grades will
decrease by one full grade.
This is why we take attendance so seriously. We all work hard to make sure that each
and every student has a successful outcome whilst at Stowupland High School and if all
our students work to improve their attendance rate to approximately 95-96% each
week, we can mutually celebrate their improved chances of higher achievements.
Mr Appleford
Reward Points and Positive Behaviour
Year 8s currently lead the way for positive reward points received this academic year
and 7SJC are leading the race for the top tutor group. Can the other year groups or tutor
groups catch up in the forthcoming weeks?
education
6
HOUSE SYSTEM Anderson win the House League!
After a slow start last term, Anderson took up the challenge of the House competition
with renewed energy and ended up worthy winners. Their prize was to enjoy hot
chocolate and doughnuts on the last afternoon before half term whilst Mr Richard
Page, Alliance Technical Laboratories - Anderson House sponsors, presented the
House trophy in the orange house colours.
This half term we included attendance figures, reading challenge results and scientist
of the month winners to find our champion. Well done, Anderson!
Look out for the Great Stowupland House Bake-off competition coming up later in the
term!
Mr Bartholomew
7
YEAR 7
Mr Holden
Character Education Programme - PiXL Edge
The Year 7 students have made an excellent start to the Character Education
programme that is built around developing the five key attributes of Leadership,
Organisation, Resilience, Initiative and Communication. The Character Education
programme is a two-year programme and at the end of Year 8 students who are
successful will be accredited with their Apprentice Award.
Year 7 students have now successfully recorded their evidence online for their
Leadership task that was completed in PE during the end of the Autumn term.
More recently, Year 7 students took part in an enterprise challenge as part of their Deep
Learning Day where they had the opportunity to complete tasks in Organisation,
Initiative and Communication. Students have now been set the task of updating their
progress via the online PiXL Edge programme. Students can access SMHW for
instructions on how to complete these tasks online.
I cannot believe we are now half way through the year! Year 7 students have come
such a long way already and as a year group are doing fantastically well. Congratula-
tions to Anderson House who won last half term’s House competition; I know from
speaking to teachers that the Year 7 contribution to the House totals is substantial.
Well done to everyone who managed to collect some House points.
A big target for everyone in Year 7 is to keep up a very good level of attendance,
ideally above 96%. Taking everything else into consideration, without good
attendance, making progress becomes even more difficult and we must be
encouraging our young people to attend school if they are able to. Mrs Cope offers
fantastic support in school; please be reassured that if she believes a student is not
well enough to be in school, she will always be in contact with home.
I am looking forward to the rest of this year with Year 7, but with such a fantastic start
they now have a lot to live up to. Are they up for the challenge? Only time will tell ...
Let’s keep it up Year 7, Well Done!
8
YEAR 8
Mr Holden
The year is flying by and Year 8 continue to do well, but they will be well aware that the
new Year 7 are hot on their heels! I have spent this year trying to raise motivation and
aspirations in the year group and I am glad to report that the recent Deep Learning Day
resulted in some fantastic business plans that I hope will result in lots of money being
raised with the “grow £2” project. The winning form (8SD) plan to purchase popular
products, selling them at a profit in school … simple but effective! Other forms have had
some fantastic ideas but it will be interesting to see if they have planned their time well;
hand-made products are highly desirable but will they be able to meet demand? One
group wanted to create a hair styling studio, so we wait to see if their business plan
makes it through approval, as hopefully break and lunch will mean all those scruffy
hairstyles are neatened up by the team from 8CP! Perhaps I will even pop along and get
a tidy up, although I am not sure my hair is long enough for a plait! I am looking forward
to see how much the year group can raise for charity - good luck to everyone.
Moving forward, we have been working hard on behaviour for learning within Year 8 and
students should be starting to feel the increase in expectations ready for Year 9, when
they will begin working towards their GCSEs. Year council have been talking with me
recently about improving transition for students from Year 6 to Year 7 and Year 7 to Year
8 and how we can better prepare students for the increased responsibility and higher
expectations that students are presented with as they move through the school.
I look forward to seeing Year 8 continue to grow through the rest of the year and hope to
see more students mature and develop the skills they will need as they get older.
Character Education Programme
Students in Year 8 have been developing their attributes in Resilience and Initiative
across a number of subject areas this term.
Students have also been set the task of updating their progress via the online PiXL Edge
programme. Students can access SMHW for instructions on how to complete these
tasks online.
9
YEAR 9
Miss Wardley
Deep Learning Day
Y9 students prepared for the KS4 options process. This consisted of taster sessions in
option subjects which lasted approximately 50 minutes, providing students with an
opportunity to find out more information about option subjects. Year 9 also attended
an assembly based on challenges and future expectations.
High School Musical
The High School Musical cast worked incredibly hard, including weekday and weekend
rehearsals, and performed to a number of primary schools. Please see the credit list
below, which includes performers, lighting, sound and backstage technicians. These are
all crucial roles and responsibilities and helped to make the show a huge success.
Rosie Ager, Maisie Allen, Ellie Ames, Alisha Chittock, Evie Cooper, Rosie Hawksbee,
Chloe Hayward, Eloise Jackson, Benjamin Langley, Dulcie Lynch, Nell-Louise Middlemas,
Georgia Moore, Lilly Patrick, Lily Ruscoe and Tamara Sturgeon (Performers).
Stan Allsop (Lighting), George Murrell (Sound) and Ben Spilling (Backstage).
ICT: Mrs Denby
Brodie Edwards (Design Background) and Elizabeth Elmer (Content Design) won the
High School Musical programme design competition. Ideas were combined by Miss
Dixie and were sent off to Gipping Press to be professionally printed. Students won a
certificate, chocolate and two free tickets to a weekday show.
Registration Group: 9AHM
Elizabeth Elmer - High School Musical leaflet design winner
Benjamin Langley - third place in Taekwondo
Cole Wade - winner Suffolk play rugby tournament
U15 Netball
The U15 netball team won cluster 2 in the Western Area with 28 points. Finals will be
played between the 4 teams from both clusters in 1st and 2nd place. I have had the
pleasure of coaching the U15 netball team for almost 3 years and am very proud of
their achievements to date.
10
Deep Learning Day
On Wednesday 6th February students at Stowupland High School took part in their second
‘Deep Learning Day’. The day was a huge success and the students were superb from start
to finish. Please see below a short summary of what each year group covered:
Year 7 and 8
Year 7 and 8 students took part in an Enterprise Day that provided them with the
opportunity to develop their skills in some of the key attributes required for Leadership,
Organisation, Resilience, Initiative and Communication. Students worked in small teams,
supported by their form tutor.
The Year 7 students had to create a customised piece of stationery or a customised
bag. Each group had to present their ideas/designs to their form class and the tutor then
selected an overall winner. The winning team then presented their enterprise idea to the
rest of Year 7 in a Year group assembly where Mr Holden judged each presentation and
selected an overall winner.
The Year 8 students took part in the Two-Pound Challenge. Each group had to present a
business idea to their form class and the form tutor then selected an overall winner. The
winning team then had to select one team member to represent their form in a Year group
assembly. The assembly was set up like a boardroom and the 8 candidates from each form
were questioned by Mr Holden and Mr Hailstone who scrutinised their business ideas. The
Two-Pound challenge will officially start once every form group has successfully submitted
their five-week business plans.
Mr Broom
11
Deep Learning Day Year 9
Year 9 students took part in various subject taster sessions to support the Year 9 options
process. Students selected four option subjects to attend during the day. The day was
concluded with an assembly led by Mr Schmdit about how to prepare for the transition
from KS3 to KS4.
Year 10
Year 10 students were involved in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths)
day coordinated by Mr Brewster. The Year 10 Engineering students visited the Imperial
War Museum's large exhibits at Duxford, including nearly 200 aircraft, military vehicles,
artillery and minor naval vessels in seven main exhibition buildings.
The GCSE Food technology students spent a day with Mrs Howlett preparing a three-
course meal in preparation for their exams. Year 10 ICT students spent a day working
with Mrs Denby where they looked at the hardware components inside a PC; students
were also working in Science where they took part of some practical experiments and
then analysed their results working with the Maths department.
Year 11 - English
Year 11 students focused on reading and responding to poetry in preparation for their
GCSE Literature exams. All Year 11 students took part in two activities: a workshop led by
Ash Dickinson, a published British performance poet, and a revision activity considering
different ways of making meaningful links between two of the poems from the Eduqas
Poetry Anthology.
Mr Dickinson’s workshops focused on encouraging students to develop confidence and
skills in reading and interpreting unseen poems independently. He read and discussed
the poet’s intentions in some of his own poems and led a workshop discussion on Carol
Ann Duffy’s poem ‘Medusa.’
Mr Broom
12
ENRICHMENT
Year 8 Textile Club
Students began by practising their skills in hand sewing and learning to use a sewing
machine in order to join fabrics. They then used their experiences to design and make
their own personal projects, working with paper templates (pattern work) and different
joining and stitching techniques. Their designs included a patchwork cushion,
monogrammed pillow, soft chicken doorstop, soft toy, apron, bunting and phone case.
.
Mr Broom
13
YEAR 10 Work Experience 8th - 12th July 2019
During the Summer term all students have the opportunity to complete a one-week work
experience placement. Students can take part in the programme as part of their
work-related learning and statutory Careers education. The principal objective is to gain a
valuable insight into the ‘world of work’ and the associated responsibilities. Many
students have already been proactive in using the Connect Education & Business database
to find suitable placements; they have also been given details on how to set up their own
placements if they so wish. Parents and Carers have been sent details of the work
experience programme but if they require further information a Work Experience
information evening is being held at the school on Wednesday 6th March, 6.00pm -
7.00pm.
Year 10 Prefects
Congratulations to the Year 10 students who have become part of Stowupland High
School’s Prefect team; this term the Prefects, together with their Year 11 counterparts,
have completed their training and started in their new roles. The prefects’ primary
objectives are to act as positive peer role-models and high profile ambassadors of the
school. Examples of Prefects’ responsibilities include assisting school staff with break and
lunchtime duties, leading visitors on tours of the school and volunteering their time to
assist with various school events such as Parents’ Evenings and Open Evenings. Lead Pre-
fects also have additional responsibilities which entail managing small teams and ensuring
standards are maintained. Well done and thank you to all our Year 10 Prefects!
India Wyatt (not pictured),
Oliver Fitzsimons, Fred Allsop,
Olivia Turland, Amelia
Creighton, Timothy Gourlay,
Finley Jaggard, Daisy Cridge,
Libby Stinson, Lottie Chapman
Mr Faliveno
14
YEAR 11 Intriguing Intervention
It has been a fantastic half term for Year 11 students with lots of opportunity to get
involved with revision support. Wednesday afternoons have seen small groups of
students engaging in 'Masterclasses' in English, Maths and Science and feedback has
been really positive from staff and students alike. The success of these masterclasses was
celebrated on the last Wednesday before half term with pizza for all the students
involved. The intervention planning team will meet after the mocks have finished to plan
the next round of masterclasses. In addition, it has been great to see students working in
a smaller setting in afternoon registration and attending other revision sessions.
Year 11 Parents Evening
We had a brilliant turn out for our Year 11 Parents’ Evening with most students who
attended making the rounds of all of their subject teachers. We also had representatives
from Suffolk New College and University of Suffolk on hand to answer any questions
about next steps. It was wonderful to see so many parents really getting involved in
supporting their children through this last stage.
High School Musical
After months of hard work, our all star cast took to the stage to present our show ‘High School Musical’. Reviews are coming in hot and the drama department have been blown away by students’ commitment and hard work. Special shout outs to our year 11 students who have been involved:
Harry Bates
Tom Stebbings
Alfie Stinson
Emily Tume
Renee McLaughlin
Miss Mansfield and Mrs Gilbert
15
SPORTS The stand out team for this half term must go to the U15 Tchoukball team for winning
the GVTSSP competition. The team won all their matches beating Stowmarket and
Thurston.
Congratulations must also go to our superb Year 9 netball team for qualifying for
the West Suffolk Finals after finishing top in their league section. The Year 10 and
11 football teams are also through to the fourth round of the County Cup
competitions.
Extra-Curricular PE rewards programme
This term we have introduced an extra-curricular PE rewards system to encourage
students to participate in a variety of PE and School Sport activities.
Students are given a PE and School Sport passport and have to collect six stamps to
complete their passport. A stamp is awarded for every lunchtime or after school club
attended. Once a student has completed their passport they are automatically entered
into a prize draw at the end of each half term.
Congratulations to the students below for winning a £5 sports voucher this half-term:
Holly Leivers—7ME Alyssa Sheldrake—8VG Charlie Arnold—9AHM
Mr Broom
16
ART
GCSE Art students enjoyed a visit to Kettles’ Yard gallery in Cambridge on Tuesday 5th
February. The day involved a guided tour of the house and a workshop run by a
practising artist. In the house and gallery, which was previously owned by Jim and
Helen Dine, students saw many pieces of artwork by both well-known and lesser-known
artists.
It was a thoroughly enjoyable day for all.
Mrs Blake
17
SIXTH FORM This half-term we have seen some excellent offers being made to our Year 13 students
who have chosen to go to University. The vast majority have been offered all of their
places. With this in mind, we are now gearing up for the mock exam weeks which are
scheduled to begin on the 19th March. My strong advice to all Year 13s is to get the
revision process ‘kick started’ this half term in order to make the most of these exams.
Year 13 Coursework Deadlines
Subject Date
Drama 6th March
History 26th April
Geography 29th March
English Literature 18th March
English Language 18th March
Media Studies 18th March
Year 12 Work Experience
As part of our commitment to equipping our young people with employability skills, it is
the school’s policy to enable students to get a holistic experience of the workplace by
doing a week’s work experience. This will take place from the 25th June for one week.
Students are expected to source their own placement, with the help and guidance of
their tutors. We will once again be working with Education and Business Connect who
have a database of employers who have previously offered placements. If you would like
to find out more or are an employer who could potentially offer a placement, please
contact us on [email protected]
Mrs Walden
18
Confirmed term dates for 2019-20 as below:
Autumn 2019
2 September - 19 December 2019
PD Days: 2 and 3 September; 29 November
Half term: 21-25 October 2019
Spring 2020
6 January - 2 April 2020
PD Days: 6 January
Half term: 17 - 21 February 2020
Summer 2020
20 April - 22 July 2020
PD Day: 26 June
Half term: 25 - 29 May 2020
Public Holiday: 4 May 2020
