O seNews Ousedale School magazine December 2016 Miss Saigon School Production 18th - 20th October 2016

“A performance that would have graced the stage of any West End theatre”

When “Miss Saigon" was initially suggested as an idea for the next school production, our reaction was one of terror; how on earth would we recreate the iconic and thrilling helicopter scene in the Ousedale school hall? Before long we were throwing ourselves head long into “Kim’s Nightmare” at the barbed wire fence with a helicopter flying loudly overhead…and that was just the start of it all.

Our students produced an outstanding production of the highest calibre; the singing, dancing, acting and music were all of a phenomenal standard. The sound, lighting and backstage crew, manned mostly by students, were also incredible. Thank you to so many of you for coming along and showing your support.

Reviews and more photos inside www.ousedale.org.uk Aspire | Believe | Achieve Message from Sue Carbert, Headteacher

Dear Parents and Carers,

I do feel I say this time after time but what a fantastic edition of Ousenews. Each page is an example of our vision in action; to create a school giving children the same opportunities and the confidence to rival any school, state or private. I hope you feel this publication has plenty of examples of how we achieve this with so many students. This term I have received more positive letters and emails from parents than I have for some time. We really enjoy receiving your positive comments, sometimes staff get a bit down when they feel they have spent a lot of their own time helping a child and do not get feedback - we encourage you to correspond with individuals, it really makes a difference. We all need to know we are doing a good job from time to time. The teaching profession is going through a difficult time at the moment, with not enough people coming into the profession and the LA reducing our funding.

I have decided to put an invite out to parents after Christmas at each campus for those interested in attending a parent feedback session and for those interested in starting the PTA again. The School is doing so well at the moment and the staff tell us they are really happy working at Ousedale. I want to make sure we are taking account of your views as well. As many of you know, each year we ask you your opinion via a survey but sometimes it would be useful to meet face to face. An email will come out by ParentMail after Christmas.

Year 11 and Year 13 students are completing mocks this week. We are introducing mocks in each year to support students with preparing for the real thing. There is no doubt the exams have got much harder and we all need to work together to help them learn the material and learn how to apply it to questions.

This term watching Miss Saigon has been a highlight for me - the staff rose to the challenge and for those of you who watched it, and sent us letters, I know you agree. It was truly amazing. The pictures look great in Ousenews and the DVD is almost ready.

I have started recruiting additional staff for next September, but sadly we have to say goodbye to a number of people at the end of this term: Katie Lang, design teacher at Olney, is moving to a post which is almost exclusively textiles - her passion; Nicola Bevan, RS at Olney, is moving back to Wales to be near family; Jasmin Plummer, maths teacher at NP, is moving to Cheltenham to be with her partner. You will be pleased to know Katie Lang has been replaced. Unfortunately, there will be supply staff covering RS and maths next term. In both cases we have interviewed the people who will be joining us and have chosen them from a number of possibilities. We have recruited RS for July, but maths is proving much more challenging to find.

Charity week has gone very well this term; the stalls at Olney and NP were outstanding. Bingo at for all Year 7 and 8 went down very well and all children enjoyed non-uniform day. After Christmas we will let you know the total amount raised. Last, but not least the School has been awarded the highest award possible by Save The Children for our charity work - it is called the The Jebb Award, after the founder of Save The Children. It was a lovely surprise. Willen Hospice and Save The Children are the school’s charities and we all enjoy taking part in events to raise money for them.

It just goes for me to say Happy Christmas to you all. I shall be spending it with my family and my two girls. Enjoy!

Sue Carbert | Headteacher

Merry Christmas Charity Week Christmas jumpers Ousedale School Christmas Carol Service Young Musician St Peter and St Paul’s Church, of the Year Newport Pagnell 2016-17

With musicians from Wednesday Ousedale School Music Department 25th January 6.30pm Thursday 15th December at 7pm Free Entry Tickets £4 available from the Finance Office A collection will be taken in aid of Willen Hospice, Main Hall St Peter and St Paul’s Church Newport Pagnell and Ousedale School campus The Grove Please join us MK16 0BJ for mulled wine and mince pies following the service

Uniform change for girls Last Day of Term - 20th Dec September 2017 Early Finish

Following the success of our new school uniform skirt which has School will finish early for the Christmas holidays at 12.20pm on been worn by our new Year 7 students this term, we would like to Tuesday 20th December. School buses and taxis will be arranged announce that this will be compulsory for all students in at this earlier time to take home those students that normally catch Years 7 – 10 from September 2017. them.

The Spring term will commence on Wednesday 4th January, 2017.

Severe Weather Arrangements

Should the school need to be closed due to severe weather we will endeavour to let you know by 7.15am on the day in question.

A message will be placed on our website and parents will be sent a message by text or email. If you have not yet done so it would also be helpful if you signed up to the Milton Keynes system. For new parents it is most likely to be the same system you used at primary school, but you will need to alter the school. The link to this system is shown below. Hopefully we will not have to close The skirt can be brought from Maisies in Wolverton and will replace either campus, but best to be prepared. the current black skirt option. Girls will still be able to wear black http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/Closures/Subscribe trousers if they prefer. We look forward to seeing how smart they all look in the new school year! Miss Saigon | Photos and reviews See the full photo gallery at https://www.flickr.com/photos/ousedale/albums

“Everything about the show was magnificent and if you closed your eyes you would think you were at a West End production. How the production team managed to put on a show in the school hall with the limited space and facilities and still get it to West End standards is beyond me. The orchestration was outstanding, the singing and the emotion generated was exceptional and made it a never to be forgotten evening.

The show was a credit to everyone involved in the production and “I wanted to drop you a note to say how incredibly impressed I yet again made you feel proud to be involved in Ousedale was with the production of Miss Saigon. I have seen the show School.” several times in London and even once in Sydney and wasn’t sure what to expect from a school version but I was absolutely blown away! The girl who played Kim could hold her own on a West End stage and the Engineer gave a stunning performance.

I really am truly impressed by the quality of your version and wanted to say well done on a brilliant job. The cast were absolutely excellent and I haven’t stopped raving about it!”

“I just wanted to let you know that I was blown away by the performance last night – WOW is all I can say.

I have never seen Miss Saigon before so didn’t know what to expect. This was a truly professional show.” ‘The students taking part were exceptional, talented and extremely professional’

“They all performed in a most professional way and were better than some of the shows I have seen in the West End.

Special congratulations to the students who played Kim and the Engineer. If they are continuing an acting career I am sure they both will go far.

I must also give a mention to your students who helped at the front. You should be very proud of them; so helpful and polite.” “What an excellent performance of Miss Saigon …… It wasn't at all amateurish. I'd give it 10/10 and I'm sure some of the cast will end up on the London stage in a few years' time! …. The whole cast did a great job, the musicians must have been exhausted and congratulations to the lighting and effects team. ….. Another show to add to Ousedale's excellent reputation!”

“… a thoroughly enjoyable and professional performance… My wife and I both agreed it was a performance that could have graced the stage of any West End Theatre and at £12.50 a ticket it was a real bargain.” Ousedale Debating Society

The Ousedale Debating Society has made an excellent start this academic year with lunchtime clubs for KS3 and KS4 where a variety of contemporary issues have been discussed including immigration, the use of the death penalty, the rise of Donald Trump and the legalisation of marijuana. Students have been eager to share their ideas and have been developing their ability to sustain an argument and deliver a speech in a coherent and eloquent manner.

The clubs have been ably led by a Sixth Form Committee, with Dean Murphy 13BG as President and Grace King 12MS as Vice-President. In addition a dozen other Sixth Form students have been able to develop their leadership skills by planning and delivering the sessions, as well as mentoring younger students. The first KS3 competition required participants to produce a one-minute persuasive speech on a topic they were passionate about and was won by Hannah Phanchang Basra 8LRP. A variety of other internal and external competitions will be held during the academic year and all students are invited to participate.

Miss Tuxford | Debating Coordinator

At Key Stage 3 Debating club, we have around 15 dedicated First round of the MK Parliamentary Debate students who come every week to debate some rather difficult topics such as: refugees, the US election and the legalisation of cannabis. Last half term we had a competition that gave all members the chance to publicly speak on a chosen topic for a minute; the winners were awarded prizes and gained some valuable experience in public speaking. Our aim is to increase young people's confidence, public speaking and debating skills and to provide them with more opportunities within the school.

Grace King 12MS | Debating Society Vice-President

MK Parliamentary Debate competition

Ousedale School has continued to shine in the MK Parliamentary Debate Competition chaired by Mark Lancaster MP and Iain Ousedale students with Iain Stewart MP Stewart MP. Grace King and James Winship 13AP have made it through to the final of the competition. This will be held in the Grand Committee Room at Westminster, the second debating chamber to the House of Commons, on 13th December.

The first round was held at with Ousedale proposing the motion that ‘This House believes that expanding the grammar school franchise will help narrow Britain's social mobility gap’. A confident and impressive performance by Grace and James, who had never debated in a competition prior to the event, led to an assured victory against The Webber Independent School. The semi-final was held at MK College with Ousedale School participating in a three-way parliamentary debate against Stantonbury School and Oakgrove School, with the motion: ‘To preserve the integrity of our democratic system, this House proposes that the House of Lords become a fully elected chamber’. Ousedale was opposing the motion and arguing for a partially elected chamber. The three-way format ensured a tense and dramatic competition with a number of eloquent arguments and superb interjections by James and Grace. Ousedale took victory with a unanimous decision by the judges and were congratulated by Iain Stewart MP, the Chairman of the debate.

The Debating Society will be accompanying Grace and James to Westminster, and will be proposing the motion: The Government is right to argue that the EU referendum result gave it the mandate to trigger Article 50 without first securing Parliamentary approval’. We wish them every success on this evening and hope to come back as the winners of the MK Schools Parliamentary Debate Competition 2016.

Miss Tuxford Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

An evening of celebration The evening of 2nd November marked the culmination of over 18 months of hard work and dedication by the leaders, staff and students involved in Ousedale School’s Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. The ceremony aimed to bring together the largest gathering of DofE students and parents we have ever attempted, and it is safe to say: it didn’t disappoint. With a turnout of over 400 people as well as an exclusive guest panel, the evening was off to a good start before even a single award had been presented. Our special guest Mr Phil Brown, the Regional Director for DofE in Central , set a great tone for the evening, with his humorous, congratulatory but most of all inspiring speech. He had the whole room captivated and demonstrated his unique ability to evoke awestruck silences which seamlessly blended into raucous laughter with every section of his address. He paved the way for the following speeches and announcements which helped achieve the sense of pride that the evening was designed to create.

The awards were presented swiftly and efficiently as well as giving each pupil time to relish in their glory on stage. The bronze and silver awards were separated with more speeches, this time by students who offered some first-hand experiences as well as advice to the audience.

The evening ended with the special awards, most notably Mr Rob Stretton’s own award - a gift on behalf of all the students in recognition of all his hard work and dedication to the Duke of Edinburgh cause at Ousedale School.

We would like to wish all those continuing with, or beginning their DofE experience the best of luck and we hope to see them all again next year.

Alf Cuddeford 12EY

Science Quiz

1. True or false? Many neurosurgeons learn their craft by 6. What is a young lion called? operating on longfin squid. 7. Which planet has the highest known 2. Can hairspray preserve a cut Christmas tree? volcano in the solar system? 3. When do you experience rapid eye movement? 8. What is the world’s tallest flowering plant? 4. How does a platypus’ bill help it sense underwater? 9. Can you give the names for the following elements: Hg, 5. Where would you find a Goldilocks zone? Sn, Sb, W, Ag and Au? 10. What metal has the symbol Pb, after the Latin word for plumber? GCSE and A Level Awards

We were delighted to be able to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our students at both GCSE and A Level on Friday 18th November.

In the afternoon, over 250 students joined us in a celebration of their success during Year 11, receiving GCSE and BTEC awards, subject awards, and awards for contributions to the school and community. The evening celebration recognised achievement in Year 13 and we were delighted that so many former students made their way back from either universities, or employment, across Britain to join us for this event.

Many thanks to all the parents and family members who attended events, this really helped to create a wonderful atmosphere. Your support has enabled these young people to achieve such great success, and we could see how proud you were of your children!

Special thanks must also go to the guest speakers, Ian Revell and Mark Lancaster, and the local dignitaries who continue to support the work of the school and recognise its importance in our community.

Chris Whiting | Assistant Headteacher

Computing and Digital Applications

Success in the Bebras Computational Thinking Challenge 2016

This year we have again encouraged the students to take part in the Bebras Challenge, an international competition that is held in over 30 countries.

The Computational Thinking Challenge is designed to get students excited about computing and computational thinking. Computational thinking is a collection of diverse skills involving problem solving that result from studying the nature of computation. It includes some important skills like creativity, ability to explain and team work. It also consists of some very specific problem solving skills such as the ability to think logically, algorithmically and use procedural decomposition, which is breaking a big job into smaller jobs. The students answer a number of challenges and they are scored on how well they do on each. This challenge is a good indicator as to whether the students would be suited to a career which requires computational thinking.

A great number of students took part in lessons and they will all be awarded with a certificate for taking part in the challenge. Several students managed to gain either a Certificate of Distinction or a Certificate of Merit. The Best students in the School got a special Certificate for their accomplishment. Congratulations to Luke Hulmes, Zoe Wu, Shivali Raichura and Rowan Smith.

This year Luke Hulmes and Zoe Wu also performed well enough to be included on the Bebras Challenge ‘Hall of Fame’ on their website. We are hoping that both may be invited to the finals in January at Oxford.

Mr Willans | Computing and Digital Applications Teacher MK Schools Cross Country | Ousedale overall winners

A huge congratulations and thank you to all the competitors that took part. We were lucky to start the day with sunshine, although sadly for the older age groups the rain did descend! It was as always a pleasure for the staff to see the real team spirit amongst the Ousedale students and the determination from all of them to do their best on a challenging course. As a team we had the following results: Year 7 Boys: 1st place Year 7 Girls: 3rd Place Year 8/9 Boys: 1st Place Year 8/9 Girls: 2nd Place Year 10/11 Boys: 1st Place Year 10/11 Girls: 1st Place.

Year 7 Girls: 1st Lily-Mae Smith Year 7 Boys: 1st Seb Henry and 2nd Jayden Hill Year 8/9 Girls: 1st Barbara De Koning Year 8/9 Boys 1st Leo Freeland and 3rd Tomas Billenness

There are far too many students to mention individually as all made brilliant contributions to the whole school result to finish first. We look forward to watching them compete in future events.

Miss Green, Head of PE

Rugby Round Up Year 11 team

All year groups have had a number of fixtures this term and there have been some notable successes. The Year 10 rugby team had a fantastic win over Royal Latin to reach the semi-finals of the Bucks Trophy.

The Year 7 team have swept all before them including an excellent win over a strong Lincroft team and played their final fixture against NSB on 3rd December.

For the fifth year in a row the Year 11 rugby team won the MK Schools Rugby 7s Tournament at MK RUFC on 20th October, going unbeaten and playing some fantastic rugby along the way. Pat Bull was instrumental in providing a link between the forwards and backs and a constant threat to the opposition, but the whole squad played their part including the Year 10 boys who played up a year. Special mention must also go to Mr. Gareth Beynon (who coaches the Olney RFC U16 team) who rotated the squad round brilliantly and managed to give everyone plenty of game time and win the tournament!

Mr Hurley PE Department Badminton Success

Cara Bateson 9NB won the MK Schools' singles title at Lord Grey National Dance Champion School on 17th November and then teamed up with Anna Charles 9MRG and won the doubles as well! Congratulations to both girls Georgia Marsh 8RV who regularly represent the school team.

Georgia Marsh 8RV competed in the IDTA National Freestyle and Zack Hooton 8RV (aged 12) recently played in the MK U15 Silver Rock and Roll finals in mid-November (after achieving her place Tournament in the boys’ doubles and managed to win the gold through the South-East regional qualifiers). She was up against the medal! (Zack was unable to enter the singles tournament as his top 114 under 13 year olds in the country and she won 1st place. grading is now too high.) He also recently represented Bucks in an She is now the National Champion in Slow Dance. Congratulations U14 fixture against Suffolk, winning all his matches. He played for to Georgia on her tremendous success. the U16 Bucks team against Oxfordshire and won his singles, mixed doubles and one boys’ doubles match. As a result Bucks were overall winners for both age groups. Zack has also represented Ousedale in a number of successful school matches. Congratulations Zack and good luck for your upcoming tournaments and county fixtures. Famous Women Chemists Gertrude Elion 1918-1999

I have decided to highlight, over the next few months, a group of women who changed the course of Chemistry. The first women chemist I want to tell you about is Gertrude Elion. She is rightly famous because of the drugs she discovered.

Everyone is familiar with chicken pox and herpes. Well, Gertrude Elion developed the drug: Zovirax which is used to treat both of these diseases. She also discovered a drug used in the fight against leukaemia (Purinethol). She then went on to develop a drug that is used to stop the body rejecting transplanted organs (Imuran). Anyone who suffers from gout may well use another drug that she developed (Zyloprim). In fact her work was so prolific that she is named on no fewer than 45 patents.

Her research led to the development of the AIDS drug AZT, which I think was her most powerful contribution.

Gertrude Elion was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1988 for discoveries made about the important principles involved in drug treatment. She was also the recipient of: Lemelson-MIT Lifetime Achievement Award (1997), National Inventors Hall of Fame (1991), National Medal of Science (1991), and the Garvan-Olin Medal (1968)

Gertude was born in New York in 1918 and died in North Carolina (USA) at age 81 in 1999. The world is a richer place for the work she carried out in the fields of both biochemistry and pharmacology.

Dr Bruce Rae CChem FRSC

Science Quiz Answers Pb. symbol the hence

10. Lead was known to the Romans and its Latin name was plumbum, was name Latin its and Romans the to known was Lead 10. with enough atmospheric pressure could support liquid water. liquid support could pressure atmospheric enough with

these elements were known to the Romans – hence the Latin names. Latin the hence – Romans the to known were elements these 5. The Goldilocks zone is the habitable zone around a star where planets where star a around zone habitable the is zone Goldilocks The 5.

(wolfram) – tungsten; Ag (argentum) – silver; and Au (aurum) – gold . All . gold – (aurum) Au and silver; – (argentum) Ag tungsten; – (wolfram) 4. A platypus’ bill senses electrical signals from other animals. other from signals electrical senses bill platypus’ A 4.

9. Hg (hygrum) – mercury; Sn (stannum) – tin; Sb (stibium) – antimony; W antimony; – (stibium) Sb tin; – (stannum) Sn mercury; – (hygrum) Hg 9. 3. Rapid eye movement is a stage of sleep. of stage a is movement eye Rapid 3.

and Victoria. and 2. Yes, hairspray can help preserve Christmas trees. Christmas preserve help can hairspray Yes, 2.

8. Mountain ash is the world’s tallest flowering plant. It grows in Tasmania in grows It plant. flowering tallest world’s the is ash Mountain 8. nerves than humans. than nerves

7. Mars has the highest volcano in the solar system. solar the in volcano highest the has Mars 7. first learn their techniques on squid because they have much larger much have they because squid on techniques their learn first

6. A young lion is called a cub. a called is lion young A 6. 1. True. Neurosurgeons do surgery on the human nervous system. They system. nervous human the on surgery do Neurosurgeons True. 1.

KS4 Aspire | Coping with exam questions

Report by Jack Rodden 10AG

On Thursday 10th November, myself and other students attended the latest (at the time of writing) presentation. The session in question involved how to cope with exam questions. I must add, at first I was dubious of how good the session would be. As it turned out, I was to be very much surprised...

After Mr. Whiting had braved the busy roads from Newport to Olney, we sat round a table. Mr. Whiting played a game focusing on our names; Jack for example was beanstalk and another student was thumbs.

After this we all worked together debating the best way to decode and answer examination questions. I know that this sounds rather dry on the surface but the way it was presented – together with the input of all of the enthusiastic attendees - actually made it one of the best sessions that I had attended. Perhaps Mr. Whiting’s unique method of remembering our names (back to the beanstalks and thumbs) had something to do with it!

Overall, I found that the was great fun, as we learnt and had a laugh at the same time! I would thoroughly recommend this and found it very useful. An Insight into Engineering with Network Rail

On 8th November sixty of our Year 9 students took part in a STEM* day organised and presented by five graduate engineers from Network Rail’s headquarters in Milton Keynes. (*Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths)

Most of the day was focused on two challenges where the students competed in teams against each other to build a bridge and to design and build a working level crossing using motorised Lego. However, for many of the students, the best part was hearing how the graduates got into engineering and about the different types of specialist engineers in the company. For many of them, this was the first time they had really thought about the work of an engineer and they really appreciated the activities and the opportunity to talk to young people from the world of work.

On 25th November, the winning team of five girls from Olney joined winners from nine other local schools for a tour of the Network Rail headquarters building in MK, where they were wowed by the impressive work environment and facilities, such as “street” cafes, gaming room, subsidised gym, convenience store and most of all, the free stationery bar!

The graduates spoke of their excitement for the future “Digital Railway” network and we watched presentations by various members of staff, including Jane Simpson, the first female Head of Engineering at Network Rail. Jane spoke enthusiastically about her career and the importance of engineering.

Thanks to Network Rail for this new STEM initiative and we hope that it will continue to grow and help to introduce many more young people to the exciting and varied opportunities in engineering. We hope that we will be able to join them again next year.

Mr Coffey | Teacher of Science Congratulations on achieving Music Exam Grades

Grade Charlotte Bruce Flute 9KRM 5 Distinction Klara Filip Flute 11KTL 4 Merit Sasha Mortimer Violin 7FW 2 Pass Henry Smith Cornet 10GD 6 Pass Henry Smith Drum 10GD 1 Pass Rowan Thomas Trombone 9MRG 2 Pass Jack Honour Jazz Trumpet 8JA 2 Pass Oliver Butterworth Jazz Trumpet 8KAL 3 Merit Aidan Fraser Keyboard 8JNB 1 Distinction Samuel France Piano 12SMC 5 Pass Elsie Daniells Piano 11GM 3 Merit

Autumn Concert The Music Department would like to thank all students who participated in the Autumn Concert in front of an audience of over 250 strong. All of the school's music ensembles were involved, making for a varied and entertaining evening.

Ousedale String Orchestra started the evening with a performance of Bach's 'Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring', led by Emma Wenham. Many Year 7 instrumentalists got involved by performing 'Make you Feel My Love' with Big Band's Little Brother (BBLB). The Jazz Band swooned the audience with a performance of 'All Blues' by Miles Davis and Men's Chorus clearly enjoyed performing their own arrangement of 'Budapest' by Ezra. Encore and Anacrusis sang beautifully, and the Guitar ensembles provided some lovely moments of music.

A special mention must go to Darragh MacManus, Hugh Langridge, Cameron Sheehy and Dominic Hindley who performed solos in the concert. Thanks must go to all students who performed, making the evening a most enjoyable event.

The Music Department

Halloween in the canteen Thanks to the catering teams who put on a special Halloween themed menu. This was greatly received and created lots of excitement for the students. Shakespeare for Schools Festival

Macbeth at Stantonbury Theatre

We had a lovely cast of 18 students who performed at Stantonbury Theatre on the evening of 10th November. Shakespeare for Schools is a national project that hundreds of schools get involved in every year. Its purpose is to inspire school children of every age to have an opportunity to tread the boards of a theatre space using an edited version of one of the Bard’s famous plays. It is all about having fun and installing confidence in young people. Hopefully they have come to realise that Shakespeare’s plays can be accessible to everyone.

We were all so proud of our talented students who had been working hard for the last few months. When the big day came they certainly delivered. We also performed in school to Year 11 students who study ‘Macbeth’. Not only did all the students who participated thoroughly enjoy themselves, but they have done themselves a great service by learning and interpreting the script of the literary text which they will be studying in Year 11. The Year 11 students who watched will also benefit from having seen a live performance of the play which they will be examined on this summer. A completely invaluable experience for both performers and audience!

A big thank you must go to all the team involved and we must not forget the back stage and technical crew. We have set our eyes on another play for next year. Please watch this space!!!

The Macbeth Bard Team

When I found out that I was doing Macbeth I was really nervous. I had never performed in front of so many people and we were really nervous in the auditions. However, when we had the first rehearsal our confidence was boosted. We went through the production and got a feeling of what the play was about and we had loads of fun in the rehearsals.

I have met so many new people and talked to people I wouldn't normally talk to around the school. Midway through the experience, we worked with Shakespeare company professionals and learnt so many new things. We performed a scene to another school and vice versa and picked up on things we did well and needed to improve on for next time. My favourite scene is the fight scene between the English and Scottish sides because it involves the whole cast.

We all feel really confident in speaking the lines from Macbeth and know the storyline well. This will really help us when we study it in Year 11 so we performed it to some classes in that current year group and it really helped them to achieve a greater understanding of Macbeth for their GCSEs.

Shakespeare's plays use a completely different style of drama from what we are used to but I absolutely love being Macduff and we have all developed a real passion for Shakespeare.

By Radhika Raichura 9JCB Library Corner

Visit by author Alan Gibbons

On Friday 2nd December Alan Gibbons visited Ousedale for the second time. Alan has been writing children's books for twenty three years. He is the winner of the Blue Peter Book Award 2000 'The book I couldn't put down' for his best-selling book Shadow of the Minotaur. He has also been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal in 2001 and 2003 and twice for the Booktrust Teenage Prize.

Alan treated all students in Years 7 & 8 to an entertaining talk about the life of an author followed by workshops with smaller groups.

The workshops gave students the chance to practise their creative writing. Here is the start of a piece written by Emily Robbins:

‘The Dark Lord’ - by Emily Robbins 8STC The blood scarlet Ferrari screeched around the corner with its freshly changed tyres. Lilly Turner, aged 15, was unsteadily at the wheel of her new car. Listening to Rockabye by her favourite artist, her eyes were glued towards the road scanning for any road signs. In the distance she could see a beautiful-coloured sunset above the iridescent sea. The only thing that bothered her was that it was quiet, too quiet. With her trembling hands she held onto the wheel; her knuckles piercing out of her skin. She was ready, she was determined to win…………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………

KS4 Book Groups

Olney KS4 book group have met twice since the last edition of Ousenews. Not everyone managed to finish Cuckoo Song but some felt it had been better than The Lie tree; also written by Frances Hardinge and nominated for this year’s Carnegie medal.

We have also read Shine by Candy Gourlay (chosen by Daisy Roughley 10MG) This had a really promising start and was a quirky story let down a little by a disappointing ending. We are currently reading Looking For Alaska by John Green chosen by Poppy Lovatt 10JOM.

Newport Pagnell KS4 read The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson and found it interesting, refreshing and thought provoking. We are currently reading Demian by Herman Hesse chosen by Alice Bhebhe from 11EL.

Mrs Campion | Librarian Latest News from the Careers Centre

On 17th November we took a group of Year 10 and 12 students up to the NEC Birmingham to attend The World Skills Show 2016. This is the largest skills, apprenticeship and careers event in the UK. It showcases education providers and employers across five industry sectors including Engineering & Technology, Media & Creative, IT and Enterprise, Hospitality & Lifestyle, Construction & Infrastructure.

Visiting the event provided students with the opportunity to explore a range of different roles within each sector, being able to chat to employers, apprentices and craftspeople about what they do and the path they took to get there. There were even some interactive experiences to engage with. The main problem was getting to see everything in the time we had.

For those students who missed out on a place – it was very popular and heavily over-subscribed – please don’t be disheartened. We will have more events coming up soon. Keep an eye on the careers notice boards for more information.

Andrew, Year 12, said “The Skills show, hosted at the NEC, was an experience I really enjoyed. Attending the show has been eye opening for me as it has made me realise there are more options than just university. I have now gained some motivation for what I would like to do after Sixth Form and for that reason would strongly recommend for anyone to go if given the opportunity.”

Did you know…. Bletchley Park has just announced it will be opening a 6th Form College of National Security to teach cyber skills to a new generation of code breakers? It is scheduled to open in 2018. Also, Sir James Dyson (of revolutionary vacuum cleaner fame) is planning to open his own Institute of Technology in September 2017? Working with Warwick University, students will study alongside Dyson engineers receiving a salary and will not have to pay any course fees.

Mrs Griffin and Mrs Campion | Careers Advisors

Upcoming Events

Monday 19th December 2016 | Moulton College Taster Day | 9.30am – 12.30pm

Thursday 12th January 2017 | Bedford IT Training Centre | 10am – 8pm

Saturday 21st January 2017 | Open Event | 10am – 1pm | Chaffron Way & Bletchley Campuses

Tuesday 24th January 2017 | Bedford College Open Day | 5pm – 8pm | Cauldwell Street Campus

Saturday 28th January 2017 | Bedford College Open Day | 9.30am – 12.30pm | Shuttleworth Campus Christmas Hamper Competition 2016 WINNERS We would like to give a huge thank you to all form groups that took part in Newport the Hamper Competition on 5th December. There were snowmen, trains, Olney Christmas dinners, advent calendars and glitter galore! Students at both Pagnell 7CW campuses have obviously been giving up their time willingly to create some 7LRT spectacular displays of festive fun! 8FC 9NB 8SW The food collected in the hampers has already been distributed to Milton 10MG 9KRM Keynes Foodbank. Huge gratitude was expressed and grateful thanks was 11KTL 10MW extended to all students and parents who generously donated to the 11NMG collection. Thank you and Merry Christmas. 12ALM

The PER team