Issue 618 - 9th February 2018
Jack Petchey ‘Speak Out’ Challenge Page 8
German Exchange Gallery Page 5
C8 Football Page10
www.honywoodschool.com | Tel : 01376 561231
Headlines By Scott Caygill Acting Head
The Spirit of Honywood It was this time last year that Mr Mason wrote the following about the re-launch and re-brand of the school PTA – previously known as ‘Friends of Honywood School’, that is now known as ‘Spirit of Honywood’. “I am delighted to report that this week we are launching a new Parent Teacher Association, which we are naming ‘Spirit of Honywood’. Over many years our PTA has been a great support to the school, raising funds to directly support learning and offering their help in a range of ways, for example in supporting the many school productions that we put on each year. However, like all PTAs, membership changes on a regular basis as families see their youngsters progress through the school, so one of the key aims of our re-launched association is to broaden membership to include past learners and members of the community who may be parents of former learners at the school, or indeed, people who care about education in our community even though their direct experience of education at Honywood is limited.” In the year since the relaunch Spirit has hosted several large events, which hopefully you will have been aware of. The first event was the Easter Fair, several months later came the Curry and Quiz night and most recently the monthly Feel Good Fair has been launched. All of the events have been a tremendous success – as a result of the money raised we have been able to donate approximately £1500 back into the school over the course of the last calendar year which has supported departments in range of ways including – • • • • • • •
Contributions to the costs of last years C11 Prom Resources for Art and Science to support youngsters with their learning Resources for the SEND department External support for our GCSE youngsters in preparing for their English exams New practical equipment for the Design Technology and PE departments New software for learners to use in Geography Training resources for the Family Learning Team
Hopefully this list demonstrates to everyone the significant positive impact that Spirit has been able to have in its first year. We are keen to continue the success this year as well and aim to be able to donate even more than £1500 to the school. This week we have announced the next Spirit of Honywood event – Bangers & Bingo! This event will take place on the 22nd March at 6pm at Honywood School. We are hoping this event will be a huge success. If this sounds like something you, your friends and family would like to be a part of tickets will be on sale at break and lunch times for learners to purchase or can be purchased from the main reception after school. Tickets are on sale for £8 per person and include bangers, a drink and Bingo. If you would like to volunteer to support Spirit at this event, or any event that Spirit runs please contact Mrs Lockett at slockett@honwoodschool.com for more information.
Ahead of the Bangers & Bingo event we also have our monthly Feel Good Fair taking place, the next being on Sunday 18th February at Honywood School running from 10am – 2pm. It would be great to see as many members of the local community as possible there supporting the school – the fair is a Green Market that is ethical in its approach. Stalls include food, cosmetics, household and garden products. Expect to encounter sustainable-living learning opportunities as well as community and charity initiatives. The other upcoming dates for the Feel Good Fair • Sunday 11th March • Sunday 15th April • Sunday 13th May This event will run every month, the dates for June onwards will be confirmed in April/May. Guided Choices Around this time of the year, the choices our youngsters make become increasingly important in all areas of the school. Cohort 11 need to make choices impacting on their future such college applications and managing the balance between their social lives and revision for GCSE exams. In Cohort 10 it is a similar story, they will be sitting their C10 Mock Exams in the very near future (16th April – 4th May). Cohort 8 are beginning the Guided Choices programme which will conclude with decisions being made around the subjects they will study for the next 3 years of their lives! Youngsters in Cohort 8 should have copies of their Guided Choices booklets to show you over half term. Between 19th February and 2nd March youngsters will have the opportunity to experience C9 and C10 GCSE classes to decide if studying a subject at GCSE is the right decision for them. Parent taster sessions will be available for booking during a two week period from Monday 5th March to Friday 16th March. On Wednesday 14th March we will have the Guided Choices Evening here at Honywood, where families have the opportunity to speak to Subject Leaders from all of our options subjects. Youngsters’ final choices for their GCSE subjects in C9 need to then be submitted by Thursday 29th March. Learner Thanks To Thomas Chard (8PBi) and Evie Higgon (8PBi) for taking a visitor on a tour of the school. To Ryley Brazier (8CRs), Liam Gipson (8EPe), Maisie Harris (8KGu), Emily Hasler (8CRs), Katherine Harvey (8Apr), Maxine-Emily Harvey (8HBi) and Hayden Lowing (8HBi) for taking interview candidates on a tour of the school. Well Done To Kenzy Sherif (10MGr), who achieved 2 As in mock GCSE Listening and Reading papers in Arabic.
Parents’ Time Members of the Leadership Team will be available to see parents without appointment: Monday 9.00am—9.45am Tuesday 7.15am—8.00am Wednesday 3.00pm—3.45pm Thursday 5.00pm—6.00pm Friday 7.15am—8.00am
Parent Forum from James Saunders Headteacher Designate Parent Forum Thank you to those parents who have taken the time to provide me with feedback and views regarding the school. It has been very enlightening reading your many views on the topics I presented to you. Your comments have helped me to gain a well-balanced view of daily life at Honywood as well as your perception of a number of areas; for that I thank you. The outcomes of the survey will help to shape the immediate priorities when I start and will feed into the development of our long-term vision. Please reassure your children that I shall be asking them for their views when I arrive at the school after Easter; I hope to meet with as many groups as I can in the first few weeks. There is still time to provide feedback should you wish to, I shall leave the survey open until after half term, at which point I will close it off and collate the responses. I intend to produce and share with you a summary of my findings. I shall then be holding an informal meeting to provide you with an opportunity to discuss the outcomes further or to ask any questions. This meeting will take place on Friday 9th March, 7.00 - 8.30pm. I will also be available for drop in sessions if you would like a chat and a cup of tea at the following times: Wednesday 21st March 4-6pm Tuesday 27th March 4-6pm Wednesday 28th March 7.30-9.30am These will operate in a similar way to parents’ time – no appointment is needed. If you would like to attend the meeting on the 9th March, please e-mail: lbroadbent@honywoodschool.com with your name, contact number and how many people will be attending. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. James Saunders
German Exchange Gallery
What’s Happening in School (a ‘Snapshot’ of Learning @ Honywood each day)
What's happening in school on Tuesday 6th February 2018 Cohort 8 were showcasing their most recent project in English. They were given a challenge to design their own "Ideal Home". Persuasive writing for marketing, descriptive writing to plan their house and research and design for their concept all paid a part in their project and they have been given a voucher to purchase one of the homes being showcased! Some really innovative and creative ideas, including a wonderful model of a home over three floors!
What’s happening in school on Wednesday 7th February 2018 Our Cohort 10 Geographers have completed their Lima projects! Fantastic way to making learning creative and engaging. "It was great fun to learn about Lima this way - and to get messy!" Maryann Cook
What's happening in school on Thursday 8th February 2018 Cohort 7 were in Expressive Arts developing rhythmic skills in a "Stomp" learning session. They were given the task of creating a rhythm using objects around them. Tables, chairs and even boxed games have been used to create layered rhythms!
What's happening in school on Thursday 8th February 2018 Cohort 8 were in Textiles Technology, designing prints on fabric. Using "the world around us" as inspiration, they were using printing and painting techniques in their products. They have designed images, and cut stencils to create an image to repeat on their fabric.
Take a look at our Facebook Page
Jack Petchey ‘Speak out’ Challenge Each year, youngsters from Cohort 10 attend a workshop run by the Speakers Trust on behalf of the Jack Petchey Speak Out Competition. In the workshop, youngsters develop their public speaking skills and all the essentials needed to deliver a good speech including managing nerves and structuring a speech. It is a great day for building confidence and can help in many future events, even down to interview technique. The day ends with a competition where 6 learners are selected to go through to the next round of the competition with the winner of that round going on to the regional heats. Well done to all of you who attended the workshop today. It has been a truly wonderful day and you have all done yourselves extremely proud, putting your public speaking skills to the test. Ms S Lockett
Cohort 11 Science Live Our Cohort 11 scientists arrived at Science Live on 2nd February, watching Sir Robert Winston live on stage. They also saw a presentation by a GCSE examiner - exam tips and advice on exam questions.
Celebration of Learning Each month, learners who have gone above and beyond in their commitment to learning in and out of school are recognised through the Celebration of Learning Awards. Nominations can be made for circumstances where learners have demonstrated commitment to learning beyond expectation, exceptional progress in the development of one or more of their My Learning Attributes, represented the school or an outside organisation in a regional or national event, or completed a challenge. Each learner who is nominated for an award will be invited to the Celebration of Learning Evening, where they will be able to showcase the work they have been nominated for in the presence of friends and family. Our next evening is on Tuesday 10th July. Nominations are made by any member of staff in the school and learners can also nominate themselves or their peers through their Learning Group Leader. Congratulations to the learners who have received a Celebration of Learning award in January.
Harry Ratcliffe
9AMc
Maya Robson
9KCo
Maddy Brazier
7CTh
Jake Banyard
10KHo
Thomas Last
7DPe
Fred Barnett
10ATo
Ryan Mortier
7DPe
Sophie Gaskell
10HTr
Safia Tafajoul
7MHa
Alex Mansfield
10HBr
Luke Evans
8AIs
Natasha Stevens
10HTr
Charle Mullenger
8CRs
Beth Archer
11FJo
Hannah Read
8KAr
Thomas Awad
11Cho
Amber Skingle
8EPe
Holly Lord
11DBr
Megan Brennan
9TGi
Jacob Thomas
11HBy
Ben Morris
9JWi
Cohort 8 Inter-Learning Group Football League Football Tournament update On Friday 2nd Feb the C8 inter learning group football league entered the knock out stages. Four teams had fought for a place in the semi finals. The teams were; 8AIs v 8 EPe 8 PBl v 8 DCa The first game was hotly anticipated and there was a lot of gossip throughout the week as to whether EPe could replicate their strong performance from a week earlier. EPe had made it through on team points due to their learning group leader’s efforts in establishing an official team kit. The game saw both sides battling for possession and early on it looked like both teams wanted to plan an expansive game. Nate Grimwood put in a huge effort in the holding role putting in some crunching tackles and spreading the ball wide at every opportunity. After a huge defensive effort from AIs, the deadlock was eventually broken and EPe were able to unlock the notoriously strong AIs defence. They held out for the win and when the whistle blew they were elated to be the first team through to the final. The next game saw a similar defensive effort and the rivalry between these two giants of the game was reminiscent of the Manchester derby. All players putting in 110%. Josh Taylor led the line for DCa alongside the mercurial Cole Robins who impressed yet again. Eventually DCa found the back of the net through some pre-planned set piece play. PBl fought back courageously and their heads never dropped. This pushed DCa right to the end where 2 quick last minute goals put the game past PBl. The scoreline didn’t really reflect the tightness of the game, but did result in victory for DCa who will now play EPe in the final next week. Tickets for the final have unfortunately already sold out and so there will be limited opportunity to view this sporting spectacle. Priority seating has gone to members of DCa and EPe. (The game will be aired live on Sky Sports 1 HD and there will be coverage on Radio 5 Live.....) alternatively we will update all of you who were unable to view the game through photos from the final in next week’s Gazette. Man of the Match awards for this week go to: Nate Grimwood Cole Robins
Subject Teams on Twitter
Follow our Subject Teams on Twitter to see Learning in Action
Bangers and Bingo Night at 6:00pm in the Main Hall at Honywood. Tickets on sale in the main hall at lunch and reception after school. Ticket includes a meal of meat or veggi sausages, mash and beans with a drink and two games of bingo.
Honywood School My Learning Hub Support Worker (37 hours per week, 39 weeks, £13,913 - £15,430 p.a.) We are looking for an exceptional person to join our team of staff supporting youngsters’ learning. The post will involve the successful applicant in working one-to-one with specific learners, supporting small groups of learners and supporting learners both in our new Enhanced Provision for learners with autism as well as within the wider school setting. We offer:
A high achieving Academy producing excellent examination results. A learning environment where you will be asked to expand your thinking about the high-challenge education we offer our young people. A learning model under-pinned by strong, authentic relationships, shared responsibility and teamwork, which values every member of our school community. Excellent in-house induction and training for all our new employees.
You will need:
Outstanding people skills, flexibility and initiative. Knowledge and understanding of the learning difficulties faced by youngsters with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. Minimum Grade C GCSE (or equivalent) in English and Maths - ‘A’ Level (or equivalent) education preferred. A willingness to learn every day as you consistently strive to increase your impact on our youngsters’ learning. A willingness to support wider SEND and medical need as appropriate.
For an information pack, or to organise a pre-application visit, contact Mrs S. Pattison (spattison@honywoodschool.com), Honywood Community Science School, Westfield Drive Coggeshall, Essex, CO6 1PZ (Telephone: 01376 564706). Closing date for applications is Tuesday 27th February, interviews will be held on Friday 9th March
New Menus From 19th February 2018 Menu subject to change
My Learning Choices Enterprise & Solutions MLCs this week are available to Cohort 7 learners that would like help working through parts 1-6 of their ‘Product Design’ challenge. Business Studies MLCs this week will be focused on the ‘Business in the Real World’ for the Cohort 9s, with the main focus on the similarities and differences between Private Limited Companies (Ltd.) and Public Limited Companies (PLC). Sessions will also be available for c10s who would like to go through any aspects of the ‘Finance’ topic. MFL Open to all Cohorts for French, German and Spanish. Do you need support for a particular area of your learning in MFL? Would you like to push your learning past what you’ve done in learning sessions? Are there any particularly areas of grammar which you would like any further help with or is there some support you would like with pronunciation? If so, book an MLC today! English Cohort 10, your mocks are approaching so it is a good time to explore any areas in your learning which you you need to develop and improve. Book an MLC today to ensure that you address any areas of your learning that are currently causing you concern. Review your recent learning points and take action now to address these areas.
Well Done to our Cohort 8 Duty Receptionists Zane Wright Kaelin Dunne Joseph Fulford Matt Gomes
Important Dates 12th - 16th Feb Half Tearm 20th Feb MLA Day 2 1st March World Book Day/ Dress Down Day 6th & 8th March Primary Learning Day (Exp Arts) 14th March - Cohort 8 Guided Choices Evening
Apprenticeship ARE YOU INTERESTED IN WORKING IN THE MOTOR INDUSTRY Ferrari offer the following Apprenticeship Programmes for students age 16+ : Service Technician (3 years) Body-Paint Technician (3 years) Parts Advisor (2 years) Service Advisor (2 years) They have an Open Day on Sunday 4th March 2018 10.00 am 12.00 midday at Lancaster Colchester, 3 Wyncolls Road, Colchester, Essex, CO4 9HU
Harry Ratcliffe (9AMc) has been selected to attend the U14 County Age Group trial for Essex County Cricket. The trials will take place later this month and are a continuation of sessions which Harry has been attending in the indoor nets. Best of luck Harry
Cohort 10 Computing and Digital Media Taster Day Monday 26th February 2018 at Colchester Institute – 15 places available. There is a long list of things you can do in IT and Digital Media so there is never just one way to get into the sector.. Nearly 90% of businesses rely on computers for day to day productivity. Information letter and permission slip were sent via email or you can collect from Mrs Wiggins - Permission slips to be returned to Mrs Wiggins by Monday 19th February 2018 and places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Family Learning Team
email FLT@honywoodschool.com If your youngster is absent please email attendance@honywoodschool.com