News Autumn 2018 ExamWest Success Exe Celebrate

›› On Thursday 23 August, West Exe students Some of the notable achievements include: celebrated what are likely to be the School’s best ever • Art & Design - 60% 9-7 (including 15 students results, with 55% of all exam results being at grades achieving a grade 9), 93% 9-4 5-9. Our results in Maths and English have improved again, with 7 out of 10 students securing a pass in • Biology - 42% 9-7 100% 9-4 the ‘Basics’ (English and Maths GCSEs), and 65% of • Citizenship - 28% 9-7, 98% 9-4 students attaining the old measure of 5 GCSE Grades • Dance - 50% 9-7, 100% 9-4 including English and Maths at C or above. • Graphics - 39% 9-7, 94% 9-4 Students have done particularly well in attaining the very • Health and Social care - 44% 9-7, 89% 9-4 highest grades. In particular English, where 24% of students • History - 25% 9-7, 60% 9-4 achieved top grade 7-9 (which is the equivalent of the Music - 60% 9-7, 80% 9-4 old A/A*). Students have also achieved top grades across • a broad range of subjects with 21% of all entries at grade • Physics - 37% 9-7, 98% 9-4 7-9 (A/A*) or better and 10% of all exam entries achieved a • Spanish - 33% 9-7, 67% 9-4 grade A* (equivalent to grade 8/9). • Textiles - 36% 9-7, 82% 9-4 Headteacher, Tim Rutherford, commented, “We are incredibly proud of all our students, who have not only worked hard to attain grades they can be proud of but contributed to the West Exe community. We are particularly lucky to have some excellent feeder primary schools and students who have built on their earlier success here at West Exe. We celebrate not only those who have attained the highest grades, enabling a record number of students to move on to elite next steps, such as College’s REACH , but also students whose hard work means they have attained grades they and we as a school are proud of. Everyone has worked hard and this has enabled them to move on to the destination of their choice including courses at Exeter College and high-quality apprenticeships.” CELEBRATING SUCCESS...... AT WEST EXE Year 12 Graduation Evening Celebrating over 40 Years’ The Subject Award Winners Service to the School

›› would like to express our thanks to a member of staff, Dave Parsons, who has been inspiring and encouraging musical talent amongst our students for the past 40 years. The Year 12 Graduation Evening took Starting at St Thomas High place on Thursday, 22 November School and currently working 2018 to celebrate the fantastic at both West Exe School and achievements and recognise the Exeter College, Dave Parsons was initially appointed as a individual accomplishments that classroom music teacher in made this past year such a successful 1978, later teaching flute and and enjoyable one for students and The Governors’ Student of the Year Award for saxophone at both the school Exceptional Service to the School staff alike. and Exeter College. Dave Maddie W, Joe B, Mr Matt Davey, Vice Chair of Governors continues to teach students ›› It was wonderful to see so many of our Class of as a peripatetic teacher as well 2018 return and to hear about life after West Exe as leading the fantastic School School. We hope to welcome a number of them Jazz Band. He has organised back in the New Year to offer advice and support hundreds of musical events over to our current Year 11s. the years, including an annual joint event between the West Not only did students receive their official exam Exe School Jazz Band and Exeter certificates, but each subject recognised its ‘Student College’s Big Band. of the Year’. Finally, special awards for achievement and attainment were presented. In short, a lovely Dave Parson’s 40 years of evening was had by all! teaching has made a massive The Ivor Doble Cup for Academic Attainment Charlotte M contribution to thousands of pupils and staff within music, the expressive arts and the whole school. Such is Dave’s outreach that he cannot walk through town without someone saying, “Oi Parsons, you taught me music, and you taught my children music too”. Dave, from all of us here at West Exe School, thank you for the past 40 years and we look forward to the next 40!

2 3 COMMUNITY...... AT WEST EXE

Promoting well-being Welfare Team and 18 October 2018 Anti-Bullying Week 2018

›› This year West Exe School has seen the launch of a new exciting prefect Welfare Team, working hard to improve student welfare in a large number of areas. The Welfare Team is made up of students from a range ›› On Thursday 18 October West Exe of year groups and promotes positive strategies surrounding mental health, bullying and internet safety. School students took part in a Mental As part of their first project at the Health Celebration, where they School, students delivered assemblies constructed a ‘Worry Tree’ installation promoting Anti-Bullying Week 2018. in the School canteen. The Welfare Team also launched the Anti-Bullying Alliance theme of Well-being was promoted during ‘Respect’ and their related projects; an Mental Health Week and assemblies anti-bullying video about ‘Respect’ to were delivered by Steven Brown, who be entered in a national competition promoted the West Exe School ’10 a day’ and an Anti-Bullying poster as a way for students and staff to improve competition on the theme of ‘Respect’. their mental health. Steven Brown would like to thank all The assemblies also informed students the Welfare Team prefects for their about how they could access mental hard work so far this term and he looks health support at West Exe School forward to seeing the finished film and including through the Well-Being posters. If any student would like to Centre and Pastoral Support room. join the West Exe School Welfare team, During the activity, SODEXO kindly please see Mr Brown in the Pastoral provided students with a selection of Support Room for more details. cookies, which they could purchase in exchange for a ‘worry’, which was written anonymously and placed on the display. Mr Brown and Miss Donohue would like to thank the students and teachers SEND Coffee Morning who took part in the activity to raise awareness of Mental Health and to give a platform for students to share concerns If you have a child on the SEND register, you will be receiving an invitation to in a positive environment. our termly ‘SEND Coffee Morning’ on Tuesday, 22 January 2019 at 9.30am. Over 300 ‘worries’ were collected and will become part of a permanent display, The ‘SEND Coffee Morning’ is a great opportunity to which will be constructed within the meet informally with other parents and the SEND team School later this year. including our SENDCo Greg Ireland (covering Jessica Baker who is currently on maternity leave). We invite you to share your views and discuss any SEND-related questions you may have. We strongly value regular home-school communication, in order to support all of our pupils on the SEND register and look forward to seeing you in the New Year.

4 5 OPPORTUNITIES...... AT WEST EXE

Lexia KS3 Reach Aspire Conference Inspiring the highest attaining students December 2018 Academy in Exeter at West Exe School and In April this year, West Exe launched ›› Recently, students from schools all over the city The day then focused on a range of different of Exeter attended an ‘Aspire Conference’ at West professionals commenting on their career journey and a new literacy programme for selected West Exe Exe School. The conference provided an academic professions: a GP, a gynaecologist, two architects, a enhancement day for the highest attaining solicitor, the CEO of the Ted Wragg Trust, Moira Marder, students in Years 7, 8 and 9. students across the state secondary schools in and a judge. After a lunch, where students were able School Exeter. Over the course of the day, students were to network with students from the other schools, ›› Lexia is designed to help students improve their basic literacy able to speak to different professionals from a they attended sessions from Exeter University, Oxford skills through a personalised programme which enables students ›› This month saw the first range of industries, gaining an insight into the University, Cambridge University, The Met Office, Exeter to reach an appropriate reading level to succeed in their GCSE meeting of the Year 7 and qualifications and educational routes they can Maths School and Exeter College. subjects across the school. Year 8 students involved journey on towards their career of choice. Next Steps South West sponsored the event and were The thirty-six students who formed the focus group were selected in West Exe’s KS3 Reach The day began with an introduction from Phil Norrey, able to offer a free iPad to the winner of the best tweet. based on their reading age, as calculated through the Accelerated Academy. After a general CEO of County Council, who opened the Reader Programme, and spelling age. meet and greet where The winning tweet from Robert C: conference with a passionate and interesting talk on students got to know each “As dusk becomes dawn, our minds whirr, cementing all The trial went exceptionally well with a number of students completing the opportunities open to the young people of Exeter. other’s ambitions and how the information that we’ve gained. #aspireexeter2018 levels and moving quickly through the programme at an early stage. This was followed by Rob Hayes, from Presenting they are going to change the has given us all the building blocks of life, such Change, offering advice and tips on how to improve world, the group reconvened that even while we public speaking and the ability to present yourself for an event run by the sleep, our future is well in an age where academic grades alone will not Exeter Mathematics School being built”. (EMS). guarantee admission to a top university.

EMS’s Headteacher, Kerry Burnham, led a session on West Exe careers in Maths. As the group Aspire Conference quickly discovered, there is no 2018 limit to the potential that can be achieved with a degree in Mathematics. There were Certificates presented to Group in June 2018 some thought-provoking, fun and interactive challenges set including the discovery of Fermat’s Last Theorem, which provided stimulating amusement!

In December, the group will have an interactive visit from an ophthalmologist and visit Exeter College for an insight into life after West Exe.

6 7 WEST EXE... AND THE WORLD

Languages Week In November, we celebrated West Exe Language Week. During The Love of a week-long programme of activities, students started each Visit to Auschwitz – Birkenau day by answering the register in a different language! Languages The Drama Theatre was transformed into a foreign language In preparation for the Holocaust Memorial Day, a number of Year 9 students devoted cinema with screenings of two award-winning films – El their time and effort to creating a Holocaust project in memory of this devastating Sueño de Valentín and La Famille Bélier. These proved to be piece of history. For the sculpture, we involved Years 7, 8 and 9 in creating 600 ›› We have had a really busy and exciting term very popular, with students enjoying the opportunity to test origami hearts that each represented 10,000 people murdered in the Holocaust. in the Languages Department with lots of native their languages skills and broaden their cultural horizons The hearts were presented on a star, which symbolised the Star of David. French and Spanish speakers, films and foods! (with popcorn of course!).

Our students are doing an amazing job On Wednesday and Friday, students were able to sample ›› During Holocaust Memorial Day, we of getting to terms with the basics in Spanish, whilst French Crepes and Spanish Churros in the canteen – listened to many speeches from different our students are showing themselves provided they ordered in the correct language! These were speakers in the Guildhall and then watched to be resilient and aspirational, faced with the so successful that we ran out of churros! A big thanks to a documentary regarding the Holocaust rigours of the new GCSE course. We are pleased to the canteen staff for their support. Year 7 students also took which focused on the persecution of the share with you some of what has been going on part in a giant languages this term in our department. quiz, working in teams Roma people before visiting the synagogue. Later, we presented our PowerPoint, written Miss Cooper, Miss Williams, Mrs Sandels and Ms Dowler. to test their knowledge and find out more about by Finley, to other schools and members of different language and the public. We also listened to a powerful and moving talk by Haneke Coates who had ›› Congratulations to our Language cultures. Well done to survived being imprisoned in a Japanese Ambassadors in their successful applications! the winning teams! Prisoner of War camp. Halle L 7RCS, Polly C 7RCS, Kitty B-W 10ABL, Izzy B, Zaidan A 10VEG and Seth G 8ZJA. Year 11 Mocks We wanted to find out more, so in We are really proud of our Year 11 students who November those of us who worked on have recently undertaken a full mock including the project visited Krakow in Poland. ›› Year 10 French speaking visit to The Globe speaking exams. Well done for overcoming the During our trip we visited many different By Izzy B nerves and withstanding the pressure. places including Auschwitz – Birkenau and On 16 October, Year 10 GCSE French students spent Schindler’s Factory museum that helped the morning at the Globe English Centre to meet increase our understanding of the Holocaust some French students that have come over to Italian and Spanish Visitors and those who lived in the 1930s – 1940s. improve their English. It was a great experience. All By Kitty B-W Visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau was a powerful of the students were able to improve their French/ In September, we were visited by Italian students (for one experience that will not be forgotten by English by doing lots of different activities that we week) and Spanish students (for three weeks). We showed anyone who went. We all were emotionally wouldn’t usually do in lessons. It was a great way to the visitors around our school and invited them into our moved by what we witnessed and the learn and improve our pronunciation and a great lessons. We were each partnered with a student and then opportunity for all of us. It definitely helped! were responsible for making sure they enjoyed their visit. It horrifying evidence we were presented, was a good experience as showing the disturbing acts committed. both we and the visitors For many of us, it felt like it couldn’t be real, ›› Did you know that learning a foreign got to learn things from as someone said, “it was just so shocking each other. We also helped language… that it actually happened.” Another student them develop their English described the visit as “eye-opening.” In Makes your brain work more quickly • and they taught us about anticipation of the next Holocaust Memorial • Can increase the size of the brain their countries. Day on Monday, 28 January 2019 we will • Improves cognitive and sensory processing be telling the other students about our • Fends off decline of cognitive function due to ageing Revision Weekend experiences in assemblies and will be • Staves off Alzheimer’s Plans are still being made for our Year 11 Revision presenting our reflections on the visit. Weekend in February. Reminder that the final Ellie R, Year 10 • Improves your memory. payment of £40 is due by 18th January 2019.

8 9 SPORT...... AT WEST EXE Football Success • The U14 girls Football team went head to head versus in the National Schools Cup. Golf is on the up! Sports • The U12 boys Football team won ›› It is hoped that this year, Elliot B is another student with 6-2 in their first round in the ESFA students can have some success enormous potential. His home ›› A huge well done to all the students who have participated and represented West Exe School at the National Cup fixture on Wednesday in the Inter Devon Schools club is Fingle Glen, but again on many events and competitions we have entered over the last term. They have shown great dedication 3 October. Four goals were scored Championships. It is also hoped attending Activities Week, he has to both the training and fixtures, and we are incredibly proud of their achievements. by Jaiden P, 1 from Milo C and 1 that we will have a record now also become a member of from Max F who secured the win. number of students sign up to the Exeter club and has been a Thank you to all of the PE team and volunteers for their commitment and enthusiasm in supporting the students Well done boys! and to the students themselves for their hard work and efforts, which they have put into their successes. the ‘Exeter Golf and Country Club valued member of the junior team • The U16 team won against Week’ during the summer term’s this year as they have completed Mr Will Yeates, Head of PE 5-0 in the ESFA Activities Week. During the week, the double of being both the East 1st Round National Cup, thanks students will be professionally Devon League winners and the to Man of the Match who was coached in squash, tennis and Devon County inter club knockout Leighton C. golf. trophy winners. His handicap has come tumbling from 5 to WES Netball going from Hosting the West Exe activity week 1 and he won the Junior Club here at Exeter Golf and Country strength to strength! Championships. Elliot wants to Club is such a rewarding week for pursue his passion and become a the professional golf team. It’s great ›› Well done to all WES netball players, who have professional golfer - he’s well on to see a mixture of beginners and had an amazing start to the Netball season. his way. golfers come and take part in all Particular mention goes to our U14 Girls Netball squad who aspects of the game of golf and really have fun, which is always the were congratulated on their clean sweep of wins against most important part. You never and St James School in the Ted Wragg know whether you may uncover Multi- Academy Trust Netball Tournament winning all three the next golfing superstar. matches and winning for the first time against a very strong Isca Team. Furthermore, the Year 9 team also won for the In summer 2018, Chloe H joined first time against Okehampton, winning 17-16! us for Activities Week. It was immediately obvious that Chloe has • The Year 7 team played St Peter’s and Okehampton and, Rugby Success a natural gift for the game of golf. although they were up against strong opposition, they On the back of Chloe attending The U15 boys Rugby team won all played with great determination and attitude. • activities week and the fabulous against Queen Elizabeth’s School attitude that she displayed, she was The U12 (Year 7) Netball team came 2nd in the Ted with a great performance from • invited to become a full member at Wragg Netball Tournament held as St James, winning Man of the Match Will E. Exeter Golf and Country Club. She 3 out of 4 matches. • The Year 7 Rugby team came is now a valuable member of the • The U13 (Year 8) Netball team also came 2nd in the Ted runners up in the Ted Wragg junior section, has been called into Wragg Netball Tournament held at Isca. The team won Multi- Academy Trust Tournament. the Devon girls squad, won some 3 and lost narrowly to St James. golfing tournaments throughout the county and her handicap has • The U13 ‘A’ team also had a narrow defeat against St tumbled to 21. Peter’s losing 6-4 and lost to Okehampton. • The U15 (Year 10) Netball team played Queen Elizabeth’s and lost 21-9 but, once again, all players played with determination and a fantastic attitude throughout. Well done to all girls in all teams; you have been brilliant to coach and we look forward to a successful second half of the season.

12 13 INFORMATION SERVICES

Support services

• Is your child eligible for Free School Meals? • Is your child a Service Child? • Is your child adopted from care, or left care under a special guardianship or residential order? If the answer is yes or maybe, then please visit our website to find further information: http://www.westexe.devon.sch.uk/ school-life/canteen/free-school-meals/

Looking Ahead It is important that we have the correct email Spring Term commences Monday 7 January address and mobile telephone number for Year 7 Subject Evening Thursday 17 January every parent/carer.

Vaccinations (Year 9 Girls) Thursday 31 January Please inform us at admin@westexe. Year 8 Options Evening Thursday 7 February devon.sch.uk if there are any changes to your Big Band Concert with Exeter College Friday 8 February contact details, stating the name and Year/ Year 8 Subject Evening Thursday 14 February Tutor for your child/ren.

Languages Revision Weekend Friday 15 – Sunday 17 February SLT Interviews Tuesday 26 –Wednesday 27 February Thank you

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