Spotlight The Newsletter of the Benjamin Britten of Music and Mathematics Edition No.9: Summer half-term, 2016

Special Feature: Rory Davies Memorial Charity Football Match

On Wednesday 4 May 2016, the annual Rory Davies Memorial Charity Football Match took place at Kirkley and Pakefield Football Club between our Year 10 and Year 11 boys’ football teams. Organised by Teaching Assistant

Mr David, around 200 people turned out to see the Year 11 side just clinch the deal with a 3-2 victory over the Year 10s. Between entry tickets and sales from the raffle prize draw, just over £750 was raised from the evening which will be sent to the Teenage Cancer Trust charity. The match is held annually in memory of former Benjamin Britten student Rory Davies who passed away aged 15 in March 2011. Since then, the boys’ football teams have raised over £6000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust. “I felt very honoured to play for the team and represent the school on such an important and successful evening.” -Will Riley, Year 11

The Year 11 Boys Team The Year 10 Boys Team

Benjamin Britten Academy of Music and Mathematics

Blyford Road NR32 4PZ Telephone: 01502 582312

Year Group News

Year 7

Congratulations to those Year 7 students who have received awards for reaching the following credit milestones: Name Form Credits Name Form Credits Ebony Thorogood 7JG 150 Kate Harris 7JG 75 Mohammed Abdelsalam 7NC 75 Faith Harrod 7AS 75 Lily Barnes 7JG 75 Jade Hickinbotham 7NC 75 Jacob Brown 7NC 75 Hailie Hutchinson 7NC 75

Alyssia Bullard 7AS 75 Mya Janes 7AT 75 Katie Cartwright 7JG 75 Sara-Louise Jarvis 7JG 75 Thomas Cartwright 7JG 75 Brook Jermy 7JG 75

Leo Chumbley 7JG 75 Brody Ketteringham 7JG 75 Andrew Cross 7AS 75 April Laverty 7AT 75 Joshua Dulieu 7JG 75 Amy Ling 7AS 75 Ashleigh Durrant 7AS 75 Demi Page 7JG 75 Paige Englefield 7NC 75 Devon Purcell-Green 7JG 75 Finlea Flaxman 7NC 75 Mia Riggall 7AT 75 Kyle French 7AT 75 Mason Skillings 7JG 75

Logan Garner 7JG 75 Louis Tillett 7AS 75 Leilah Gooding 7AT 75 Samuel Townsend 7JG 75 Harry Hall 7JG 75 Jenna Utting 7JG 75 Mollie Hambling 7AS 75 Mekenzie Woodger 7JG 75

Year 8 Thank you to all the parents and students who recently attended our Year 8 Parents’ Evening, it was great to see such a good turnout. During our last two Reward Assemblies over 100 certificates were handed out to students who had been nominated for displaying a great attitude to work, for making excellent progress and for being helpful, polite and kind around school. A special mention goes to the following students who received

the Community Excellence Award: Sabrina Miles 8VB, Jamie Lucas 8JP, Eva Brighty 8TB, Ayesha Harris 8AR and Marielle Berry 8JP. And further commendations go to those students who received the Excellence Award for Attitude and Effort in Lessons:

Name Form Name Form Jay Anderton 8VB Eleanor Rowlands 8VB Selena Chapman 8DR Sabrina Miles 8VB

Charlotte Bennett 8AR Molly Grint 8BB Ethan Laughland 8PK Shannon Butler 8JP Eleanor Read 8JP Nivea Sampson 8PK Maddison Tillett 8BB Layla Forwood 8BB

Jodie Bassett 8PK Jake Norman 8JP Felicitations to the Year 8 girls who competed in the S uffolk FA Schools Plate Final at Needham Market. The final score against was 17-0 to ! On the team were Zara Williams, Niamh Davey, Sabrina Miles, Abbie Butcher, Laura Denby, Molly Grint, Leilah Gooding, Chloe Dobson, Katie Walker, Elisha Bower, Georgia White, Chloe Reid, Mia Riggall and Maddie Hanson. Thank you to Mr Gurney and Mrs Mercer and well done girls!

Year 9 The Year 9 Futsal Team have secured their place at the South East Regional Futsal Tournament after recently competing in the North Suffolk Futsal

Tournament at . The team finished in first place, with a draw against Sir John Leman High School and wins against Ormiston Denes

Academy, and . The team will now compete at the Copperbox Arena at the Olympic Park on Saturday

4 June! Thank you to Mr David for coaching this fantastic team and the best of luck to our boys! Year 9 students have had their GCSE subject choices confirmed by Mr Park and will start their new The Team: Iwan Jones, Dylan Hodgson, Joshua Riley, Jamie Besford, timetables on 13 June. If students have any issues Cameron High, Korbyn Schamp and Kelvin Brady with their choice confirmations they must see Mr Park or Mrs Wright at the earliest opportunity. Year 9 Tutor Groups have been working on delivering their own assemblies this half term. 9MC kicked it off with an assembly inspired by German medieval literature, on The Mouse, the Bird and the Sausage by the Grimm Brothers, performed by Rose Barwood, Ellie Butcher, Alice Burnett and Erin Wicks and narrated by Tom Huggins. 9MW followed this with an assembly on challenging views on Terrorism. We look forward to seeing what 9LC,

9FT and 9VK have in store for us after the half-term break. During the next Form Representatives meeting we will be looking at ways to promote our work in the local community.

Year 10 Well done to the following students who maintained 100% attendance during the Spring Term: Name Form Name Form

Alice Patching 10HF Kia Clarke 10 Becky Mawer 10 Kian Harvey 10 Brandon Greenwood 10 Lauren Taylor 10 Cameron Caswell 10 Lewis Elmy 10 Elaine Felgate 10 Lois Higgins 10 Ellie Stephenson 10 Olivia Grant 10 George Butler 10AL Ryan Hill 10 Jade Weale 10 Shannon Harrison 10 James Lawler 10 Sophie Cooper 10 John Laverty 10 Victoria Coleman 10 The Tutor Group with the highest attendance for April was 10AW and the tutor group with the highest attainment of credits for April was 10NL. Further congratulations to the following students who were made April’s Students of the Month: Name Form From Wednesday 15 June to Friday 24 June, Year

George Butler 10AL 10s will be undertaking their mock GCSE exams, Belinda Leech 10AW good luck! Then from Monday 27 June to Friday Josh Dixon 10GB 8 July, Year 10 students will be at their work

Briony Sandwell 10HF experience placements with a day off on Lewis Elmy 10NL Wednesday 6 July to attend the Careers Day at Jamie Coleman 10OB Lowestoft Sixth Form College. As a reward for all of their hard work this year, on Wednesday Victoria Coleman 10ST 13 July some of our Year 10s will be heading to Chloe Gooderham 10FT Thorpe Park!

Year 11 Earlier this year the school nominated Erin Pointon for the 'Inspirational Young Person of the Year Award' for the Raising the Bar Awards 2016. We are delighted and proud to announce that Erin has been selected as a finalist and will attend the Awards Ceremony at Bury St Edmunds on Monday 20 June 2016! Well done Erin and best of luck for the final! Year 11s are currently undertaking their GCSE exams and are rarely seen without a stack of revision guides and notes. Good luck for the remainder of your exams! The planning for the Year 11 Prom is almost complete and we are looking forward to enjoying a wonderful evening on Thursday 30

June at Potter’s Zest Rooms. The Prom Committee generously extended their invitations to their Tutors, Heads of Year and Year 11 Leavers’ Hoodies Assistant Heads of Year. The Year 11 Leavers’ Afternoon will take place on Tuesday 21 June. Students will attend a final assembly at 3.30 pm and then enjoy lots of fun outside, including zorbing and a bucking bronco! Food and refreshments will also be provided free of charge.

Rock Challenge

Students from the Expressive Arts Department, led by Mrs Breen, recently travelled to the Magna Centre in Rotherham to take part in the ‘Be Your Best Rock Challenge’, a national competition which aims to inspire young people to make positive lifestyle choices. 37 students from the school took part in the event and were successful in the northern division regional heats, securing second place overall and collecting nine Excellence Awards. More than 2,000 students from across Britain participated in the competition, in which teams of students were given eight minutes to perform their chosen theme live on stage to an audience of family, friends, VIPs and a panel of industry professionals. The 37 students had worked tirelessly for three months on their

performance piece, entitled ‘Echoes of History’. The dance piece focused on the current refugee crisis and the media’s negative portrayal of the issue. Students helped organise their own choreography, lighting and make- up design. The nine Excellence Awards were in the following categories: Performance Skill, Choreography,

Drama, Concept, Soundtrack, Costuming Character, Visual Enhancement, Entertainment and Lighting Design. Student Jamie Coleman said, “It was just amazing! The best experience of my life and it has been truly life- changing. I am so very grateful to be involved with everything the school has to offer.” George Butler said, “I am never going to forget this. It is the best thing I have ever done.” We congratulate everyone involved for their dedication and incredible effort! Mr Pagan took the following shots behind the scenes…

Club News

Eco Club: The school’s Eco Garden will soon be relocating from the Library courtyard to the area outside of the English Department near the lower playing field. Eco Club members will therefore be focusing on habitat creation, relocating the school chickens, their coop and their run. Plans are also beginning to take shape regarding composting on the school site, with members investigating the best methods available and ways to combine composting with ongoing Eco Club projects. All students are welcome to assist the Eco Club in their work with the school chickens, composting and other future schemes. Pop along to History Room 2 to speak with Mr Champion about how you can get involved.

Duke of Edinburgh: During the May Bank Holiday weekend 12 intrepid Year 10 students got the opportunity to put months of expedition training to good use. Starting from Harbour, they set out on a two day walk that required them to be totally self-sufficient. They were responsible for all their food, shelter and navigational needs. Whilst the days were beautifully sunny, the clear skies made for a cold night and the teams awoke to a frosty campsite. With the practice complete, the teams will now embark on a qualifying expedition for which they will be assessed on their team work, navigation and camp craft. The qualifying expeditions will take place this weekend in Thetford Forest where the teams will also be taking part in a study of the Bronze Age and Roman Archaeological sites that their route visits.

Philanthropy News

Non-uniform day: Friday 29 April saw the school hold a non-uniform day to raise money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association Charity. The charity was requested by year 11 student Sophie Case and a customary donation of £1 from each student resulted in a final total of £490 being raised. Further information on this charity can be found at www.mndassociation.org Race for Life: On Wednesday 8 June, Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 will be swapping school shoes for trainers as they take on our inaugural Race for Life event. Assistant Head of Year 7, Mrs Reynolds, launched the event in assemblies at the beginning of May and students and staff started registration for bid numbers on Friday 13 May. Sponsorship forms are now with students, so please show your support and donate what you can to this extremely important cause. Carlton Colville Primary School: On Thursday 26 May, Mr George and Miss Stanley took three members of the School Council to Carlton Colville Primary School to hand over a cheque for £519.61 to help with the reconstruction of their Celtic roundhouse which was burned down by arsonists in February. The Primary school are hoping to raise £10,000 for the rebuild.

Trip News

Year 7 Tempest Trip: As part of the Norfolk and Norwich Festival, Year 7 students were privileged to watch a performance of William Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’, held at the Hippodrome Circus building in Great Yarmouth on 19 May. The Hippodrome is the oldest remaining example of a purpose-built circus in Britain and of only three venues to have water permanently under the stage; the other locations being Blackpool and Moscow. Designer Laura Hopkins succeeded in adapting the interior of the Hippodrome into an unforgettable spectacle of water and light, punctuated by dramatic acrobatics and stunt displays. The play had taken six weeks to rehearse in London, with an additional two weeks at the venue in Yarmouth, and the uproarious applause at its conclusion indicated it was time very well spent. After the performance, students were treated to a question and answer session with members of the cast and director, with many interesting questions being posed. In response to one question, the actors described the performance as “the best time ever.” The opinion of the students that were fortunate enough to have visited the Hippodrome were that it was an enjoyable and engaging spectacle, which helped bring the work of Shakespeare to life. We are very grateful to Miss Sweetman for organising the trip and extend our thanks to all students who made the day such a success!

School Council Update Our School Council meetings this half-term have been based around preparation for the mock EU referendum week coming up in June and extending our campaign to support refugees. We will also be electing a new Chair and Vice Chair in the upcoming half-term. All students are welcome to register their interest after information is sent out to form groups. Waveney Youth Council update: On Friday 20 May we welcomed School Councils from across Lowestoft and Beccles to the Waveney Youth Council meeting. We were also joined by visitors from Access Community Trust, Councillor Frank Mortimer and Leader of Waveney District Council, Councillor Colin Law. The WYC launched the interim elections of positions within the Council as well as opportunities to sit on the Access Community Trust board of trustees and the Lowestoft Culture Education Partnership board. We also discussed the planning of the Youth Takeover Challenge in November and received updates on the Lowestoft Summer Festival.

Revision Tips From Mr Mullender. Exams can be stressful and make you feel anxious. However, good preparation will reduce anxiety and boost confidence. Here are some useful tips to help you reach your peak performance during your exams: 1. Preparation: a sound night’s sleep before your exam will make you feel refreshed and alert in the morning. 2. Energy: a good breakfast is essential to aid your concentration and focus. Fruit, water or cereal is best. Try to avoid anything high in sugars, such as energy drinks or chocolate, as this will cause a ‘sugar crash’ during your exam, exacerbating any underlying fatigue. 3.) Confidence: no matter how strong the urge becomes, do not talk about the exam with your friends beforehand. Everyone will be nervous and you do not want to amplify your own anxiety by hearing about other people’s concerns.

3. Confidence: no matter how strong the urge becomes, do not talk about the exam with your friends beforehand. Everyone will be nervous and you do not want to amplify your own anxiety by hearing about other people’s concerns. 4. Relaxation: do not cram your revision into intensive blocks just before your exam. Spread revision over a period of time best suited to your lifestyle. Allow time to relax and distance yourself from revision. 5. Practice: the best way to remember important things is simply to practice. Your teachers will have past exam papers that you can work through and there are many websites, including those run by the exam providers, which will have example questions and mark schemes.

Safeguarding Information Awareness assemblies: As part of the school’s commitment to safeguarding, officers from Suffolk Constabulary recently visited the school to provide advice and guidance on issues relating to online safety and ‘sexting’. Sexting generally refers to the sending of sexually explicit images via text, email or social networking sites like Snapchat and Whatsapp. These images can then be shared without the knowledge or consent of the owner. In figures: • 38% of 13-18 year olds have received a sexually explicit message.

• 39% admit sharing intimate images. • 40% do not see anything wrong with sending topless images. • 56% are not aware of instances where images and videos were distributed further than the intended recipient.

• 70% knew the sender; the majority were peers or current girlfriends or boyfriends. A small minority were from known adults. Sending explicit images is a criminal offence. For more information on talking to your child about sexting, please visit: http://www.parentsprotect.co.uk/sexting.htm The Designated Safeguarding Lead for Upper School is Mr D Park and the Designated Safeguarding Lead for Lower School is Mr A George. If you have concerns about the wellbeing of one of our students, please contact the school without delay.

Kitchen Corner Millionaire Shortbread

Ingredients: For the shortbread: 225g Plain Flour, 175g Butter, 75g Caster Sugar For the topping: 150g Butter, 1x 379g Tin Condensed Milk, 100g Golden Syrup, 300g chocolate- milk or dark Method: 1. Preheat oven to 150c/ 300f/ Gas2 and grease and line a 23cm/ 9” square tin. 2. Rub flour and butter together to form fine breadcrumbs. Add the caster sugar and mix it until it looks like breadcrumbs again. 3. Tip the mixture into the cake tin, spread out evenly and press down firmly to form the shortbread base. 4. Bake in oven for 30 mins or until very light golden brown. Set aside to cool. 5. To make the topping, heat together the butter, condensed milk and golden syrup until the butter has

melted and the mixture is smooth. 6. Bring the mixture to the boil stirring all the time until it has thickened and turned golden brown.

Allow to cool slightly then pour over the cooled shortbread base. 7. Set aside to cool completely. 8. Put the chocolate in the bowl and place on top of a saucepan of gently simmering water, stir to melt. 9. Once melted, pour over caramel and leave to set. 10. Cut into squares and enjoy!

And in other news

Local and Community History Month: This month marks Local and Community History Month and to celebrate the occasion a large display was created in the Library, focusing on Lowestoft through time. Specially selected information was arranged under the headings of ‘Society’, ‘Industry’ and ‘Then & Now’. The rich and interesting history of the town, including Skipper Thomas Crisp’s posthumous Victoria Cross in World War One, the Lowestoft witches and a brief history of Lowestoft porcelain, were on display for the entire month and proved popular amongst students at break and lunch times. Mock EU Referendum: In the coming weeks students from all Year Groups will be offered the opportunity to gain greater awareness of the main arguments in the EU Referendum campaign. Assemblies and tutor time will be used to distribute information about the European Union, Britain’s membership and the demands of the UK’s stay and leave groups. Suggestions have also been made regarding the possibility of holding a school referendum on EU membership, to mirror the national EU campaign across the UK. This is forecast to be held on Friday 17 June. Future Leaders Training: On Tuesday 17 July Access Community Trust and Phil Aves of Lowestoft Rising came in to deliver six training modules based around leadership and management. A mixture of our School Council and Transition Ambassadors attended the training which included oral presentation skills, managing personal development, how to plan, allocate and monitor work of a team and how to lead and manage meetings. The feedback we received from the students was fantastic so we will be looking to hold a similar event in the new academic year. Ambassador Training: On Monday 16 and Tuesday 17 May Access Community Trust came to school to train next year’s Transition Ambassadors. The TA scheme is an award-winning Waveney Youth Council initiative which was introduced last year and has been particularly successful in assisting the transition of our students from Primary School to Benjamin Britten. The Transition Ambassadors at our school will be there to help support and guide our new intake of Year 7 students and they will also help to represent the school at various events. “Well done to all involved in the training, we hope you’re looking forward to taking up your new role.” Miss Rackham. ASD Ambassador Training: Our ASD Ambassadors have been handpicked by Mrs Poole as students who cope very well with school life and would benefit from training and in turn helping students in lower years to successfully navigate social conventions, social interaction and anything else they may struggle with. The Ambassadors have been working with Mrs Canham and Mrs Whitlow (under the supervision of Mrs Poole) to think about themselves, what they would like to get out of the sessions and how they feel the others may be helped. They have also had training sessions with Nicky Coman from the County Inclusive Resource for Autism and are now trained in Lego therapy! “We hope to expand our bank of Ambassadors to include a wider range of pupils with ASD but at the moment we are very happy with the three we have. Sessions should be starting after half term and this will also help both sets of students to process the anxiety they can feel transitioning to another year group.” Mrs Poole.

Dates for the Diary Friday 3 June - Saturday 11 June: 17 students from Years 7, 8 and 9 are heading to the South of France for the PGL trip. Wednesday 8 June: Race for Life Wednesday 15 June - Friday 24 June: Year 10 Mock Exams (more details to follow) Monday 27 June - Friday 8 July : Year 10 Work Experience Thursday 30 June: Year 11 Prom Wednesday 6 July: L6FC Careers Day Thursday 7 July: Sports Day Wednesday 13 July: Thorpe Park Trip