October 2014

Newsletter of The Vale Paradise Orchard  Berryfields  Aylesbury   HP18 0WS t 01296 428 551 [email protected] www.theacademy.me Dear Parent/Carer, Dates for your diary

Welcome to our first newsletter of the academic year in which you November 2014 will get a taste of some of the exciting activities that your children have been involved in. 03 Nov

You will have received a copy of our Ofsted report which KS5 Visit - New Bridge Foundation, Crime Conference, highlighted that “the curriculum is broad and balanced” and London. “students contribute well to the life of the school, taking part in a range of extra-curricular and enrichment activities” and this 06 Nov includes the external visits, sports fixtures and enrichment Settling In Evening - Years 7, 10, 12 & 13 programme available to all students. Commencing at 16:30 for Year 7 and 17:00 for Years 10, 12 and 13 We are analysing our first data trawls for each year group and continue to see improvements in the progress of most students 10 Nov across all year groups. “Students currently in Year 11 are making Year 8 Internal Exams progress at a faster rate. Those lower down the school are making even better progress” Ofsted. We are maintaining our focus on the achievement and progress of all groups of students so that we can 13 Nov move to Good very quickly. Year 8 Girls Immunisations

I am so pleased to see that again our Year 7 students have settled 27 Nov in very well. There is a ‘Settling-In” Evening for parents/carers of 16:30 - 19:00 Year 11 Parents' Evening students in Years 7, 10, 12 and 13 on Thursday, 06 November. This is an opportunity for parents/carers to discuss with the Form Tutor any questions you may have about how your son/daughter is December 2014 adapting to their new school or Key Stage.

03 Dec - 12 Dec I hope you and your families have a good half term and I look forward to seeing you at the various events during the next half Year 11 Mock Exams Commence (2 weeks) term. 03 Dec GCSE/BTEC Performing Arts Theatre Trip - Wycombe Swan Mrs F Froment (Evening) Principal 11 Dec 18:00 Carol Concert

Open Evening 15 Dec At the beginning of the month, the Academy opened its doors to Year 12 Reports Issued the future families of AVA. Staff and students had the opportunity to show off the fantastic facilities on offer as well as the work being 17 Dec produced by students on a daily basis. The evening proved to be a 16:30 - 19:00 Year 11 & 13 Presentation Evening busy one with future students enjoying gruesome and flammable experiments in Science and the delicacies of Europe in Modern 21 Dec Foreign Languages among many other delights. 15:00 End of term Chaplain’s Corner Sixth Form University Trip

Once again we reach the season of harvest. In churches and As part of our continued drive to promote aspiration in Post 16, schools this is traditionally a time to celebrate God­’s gift of an a group of Year 12 and 13 students visited Bucks New earth that provides for all our needs. But as well as being a time University’s Open Day at the High Wycombe Campus. Students not only toured the university buildings and grounds, but to enjoy the abundance of God•s provisions to us in our part of the world, this is also a time to reawaken our concern for the attended presentations on careers, UCAS applications and the world•s poor - for those whose harvest have failed or who, for HE experience from a students’ perspective. They even took part whatever reason, do not enjoy the earth•s fruits in security as we in lectures and talks on specific subject areas of interest do. including Social Sciences, Law and Business. This will be Our harvest thanksgiving is for the simple and basic necessities followed up on with workshops at AVA on personal statements we enjoy – a roof over our head; a bed to sleep on; clean water and student life. on tap; food to eat two or three times a day. We are fortunate to have these and have been reminded in recent weeks how “It was a great day and I’ve learnt a lot.” Abbie Jones many are without them: refugees fleeing persecution in Syria and Northern Iraq; the thousands in Southern Sudan facing “The trip to Bucks New Uni has inspired me to go to uni in the famine. The Bible tells us to speak up for the powerless and future, especially studying the aviation sector.” Rahim Ullah vulnerable and share what we have with our neighbours – both at home and across the globe. “I learnt a lot about uni life.” Colette Spoard

Opportunities for us to Engage in Giving “I enjoyed the course presentation a lot. I learnt about the different kinds of Psychology course I can take.” Jasmine Gregg

For the assemblies last “I enjoyed the trip to Bucks New Uni because it helped me week Lyn Burnhope, who figure out what I want to do at uni for sure and about entry and runs Aylesbury Vineyard everyday life.” church with her husband Steve, came and spoke Mrs Hallam, Achievement Director Years 12 and 13 about the work of

Storehouse. Storehouse is a facility they run from their Gatehouse Close location Year 7 Science and which for past sixteen years has offered furniture, clothes and food parcels to people who are struggling to make ends The Year 7 students have made an excellent start to their meet. Science lessons at Academy by learning how to work safely in a Science laboratory and in particular how to use 2 years ago Storehouse a Bunsen burner safely. They have amazed their teachers with were giving away about their creativity as they set about creating 3D models of animal ten parcels per week to and plant cells. As you can see from the photographs below a different families but due great deal of work has gone in to these and the quality of to the recent economic models was truly outstanding. pressures this has now risen to nearer thirty a week. This cause will help provide us as a school an opportunity to actively engage in service to those in need. So in December in our form tutor times we’ll be collecting tins of food and goodies to make up Christmas hampers that Storehouse can then give out to families for Christmas.

Not to be outdone the children in Berryfields will be thinking on a more We received our first global scale and be model cell in the form of supporting a charity a cake which whilst called Operation impressing us teachers Chris tmas Child. Which will see them left us very disappointed collecting small gifts that we weren’t able to and essential items that can be packed into a shoebox to eat it! provide presents to children in other nations, who may not have Mrs Kirk, Curriculum ever received a Christmas present before. Leader Science School Chaplain, Reverend Gareth Lane

Enrichment Sports News

As ever it has been another busy half term in the PE department at The There was extremely tight competition last year between the college with Franklin leading from the front and Faraday finding Aylesbury Vale Academy. We have participated in 18 competitive extra themselves in the unusual position of third. Throughout the year -curricular fixtures spanning from to the Beaconsfield there were many changes, College positions playing to the School. strengths of the students in the various competitions. It all came Our Year 8 girls netball team are following up from their trophy win last down to Sports Day and the following are the final standings in year with some consistently strong performances in the league. Both both competitions. our Year 10 and Year 11 Boys have progressed to the second round of the County Cup and both have a game against Chalfonts Community Inter College Cup 2013/2014 College. 1st – Nobel 2nd – Franklin With a lot of mileage covered by the PE department and our various 3rd – Faraday teams throughout the year you will be pleased to know that we now have a BRAND NEW shiny, clean and sparkling minibus (it even has a

CD player!) to get us to and from our fixtures. This bus is a lighter Sports Day 2013/2014 weight version of traditional school minibuses and has a newer cleaner 1st – Faraday engine making our Carbon footprint per fixture the most economical in 2nd – Nobel the county. We are the first school in Buckinghamshire to have one of 3rd – Franklin these new buses and we are getting envious stares when we turn up at opposing schools! The inter college competition starts again with each college vying their place at the top. This will begin after half term with We are developing our Badminton Squad and are pleased to continue our coaching relationship with Sue Rutson who is really improving the plenty of activities to take part in. skills of our Badminton Team. Sue works as a coach for coaches at Badminton England and has written books on how to improve sporting This year our programme is again filled with many clubs to performance. attend. These range from revision, sports and the more creative activities. Enrichment timetables are handed out to each I would like to remind all parents/carers that students will need a signed student at the start of each half term. Also a timetable is placed consent form before any away fixture (this means we are sure you know in the canteen and onto the Academy website under the about it) and the quicker these are returned the quicker we can confirm Enrichment tab. the games.

The PE department has an expectation for all students to wear PE kit, even if they are not taking part. There are many roles in a PE lesson, it is not all physical. People who are ill or injured can take on an official’s role or a coaching role. They will need kit for this. We will issue detentions if students do not have kit. I am sure you will agree that it is better for students to have a change of clothing for when we go outside during the winter in the cold and wet.

We have Basketball and Badminton fixtures starting up after half term in addition to the continuation of Football and Netball. There are loads of sporting opportunities available so sign up and get playing!

Mr Poland, Curriculum Leader PE

Student Leadership Team

Throughout this term students in all year have been choosing The Enrichment Cards are back. After half term students will be representatives from Year and Academy councils. The Post 16 students have elected a Head Boy and Girl and deputies, 22 prefects able to get their enrichment cards signed by club leader to be in who help students at break and lunchtimes and act as student mentors with a chance to win a prize. Each completed earns you to support younger students in the Academy. another raffle entry which will be performed before Christmas. Our student leadership team are fantastic ambassadors for the school, always willing to help out at open events, parents’ evening and other opportunities to represent the Academy and act as role models. They are hard at work already and we look forward to seeing them grow as leaders.

Head Boy: Cameron James Head Girl: Tariro Jakarasi

Deputy Head Boy: Sherife Davey Deputy Head Girl: Saaimah Bibi

Student Ambassador: Andie Brewer

Prefects: Callum Holden, Beric Garrett, Rahim Ullah, Toni-Anne Drake, Amber Hinton, Ella Thornton, Bradley Hunt, Abidah Hussain, Aliya Bibi, Ayesha Ali, Iednon Mohammed, Hameera Parveen, Alex Frampton, Rueben Woodley, Ihsan Shah, Shahdab Ahmed, Jameika Roberts, Edward Ashley, Collette Spoard, Konrad Massouroui, Mason Rose.