Woking High School, Morton Road, Horsell, Woking, Surrey, GU21 4TJ WINTER 2016 Tel: 01483 888447 Fax: 01483 888448 Email: [email protected] Web: www.wokinghigh.surrey.sch.uk NEWSLETTER Headteacher: Jane Abbott Headteacher’s Letter THE CHARACTERISTICS THAT were one grade higher than nationally During the autumn term all schools are UNDERPIN OUR SCHOOL MOTTO expected). benchmarked against each other based on “Inspire, Challenge, Achieve” resonate their P8 score. I am delighted to report that Attainment 8 = 57 (this means students throughout this, the first of our newsletters Woking High School’s 2016 P8 examination scored an average of a B grade in all of the academic year 2016/2017. results placed the school in the top 10% subjects). of all secondary schools in England and Looking back to last summer our class of 32% of all results were at A*/A Wales. This is truly something to celebrate. 2016 deserve huge praise for their superb GCSE examination results. A new system 72% of all students gained 5 A*-C Once again Woking High School welcomed of accountability measures was introduced including English and Mathematics record numbers of parents and prospective this year to evaluate schools’ performance. 10 students gained at least 12 or more students to the school for our annual open It includes an assessment of the rate of A*/A grades evening and open mornings in October. progress students have made since joining At the open evening we were inundated secondary school (Progress 8) and their 16 students gained at least 10 or more with visitors who had chance to hear the attainment over their best 8 GCSEs A*/A grades Windband play and see our latest Woking including English and Mathematics, which 30 students gained at least 8 or more A*/A High School prospectus and information are counted twice (Attainment 8). Under grades leaflets. They also heard a presentation these new measures Woking High School from me about all that Woking High School students performed extremely well. These results represent the continuing has to offer. During the evening our visitors high performance and progress made by spent time in all areas and departments of Progress 8 = +0.5 (this means that half students at Woking High School. the school. of all exam grades that students achieved Woking High School is an exempt charity and company limited by guarantee. Registered in England with Company Number 8586085 and has a registered office as above. One of the highlights of the evening was to Our overseas partnerships have also been hear our Year 7 students, Florence Freeland, very successful with a joint Science project Rebecca Truman, Abrar Tarafdar and being developed with our Chinese partner Ethan Rouse and our Year 11 Head Girl, school in Shanghai and a visit from our Dalya Abdali and Head Boy, Jake Webb, Japanese link school Mey Sen (please see speak so confidently and eloquently about reports in the newsletter). These formal their experiences at Woking High School. school partnerships have clearly provided Parents were full of praise for these our students with exciting opportunities to presentations. The speeches by our new develop their learning. Year 7s highlighted just how well they have settled into life at Woking High School and As always, our students have not only drew attention to the excellent transition performed outstandingly well in academic programme that is in place to make the terms but also have embraced a wide move from primary to secondary school a variety of extra curricular opportunities. hugely enjoyable experience. Woking High School teams have gained success in the Rotary Youth Speaks As a school that is always striving for Competition, the Design Ventura the highest standards in all that we do, competition – where our Year 9 team have we enjoy and gain mutual benefit from secured a place in the top 10 finalists, in working with other educational institutions. sports competitions including Mackenzie This term we have continued our successful Russell in Year 7 gaining 2nd place in the partnership with Gordon’s School – the British Biathlon Competition and another Arete Partnership, having organized a of our students, Ashley Saunders from Year joint Governors meeting, several student 8 has been awarded a Junior BAFTA! sports competitions, a student leadership We are grateful for all the support we training programme and a variety of staff generously made contributions to the receive from the local community and leadership training events. Our links with FoWHS funds this term. One way that especially from those who directly support our main feeder primary schools, Horsell everyone can make a free donation is by the school. The Friends of Woking CofE Junior School and Goldsworth downloading the ‘Give As You Live’ online High School provide superb support for Primary, have provided all staff with toolbar or going through our website on the school and on their behalf I would valuable knowledge and expertise on the ‘Give As You Live’ when you do your last like to thank all those parents who have KS2-KS3 English and Maths curriculum. minute Christmas shopping (and continue to use it all year). Please see the Friends article for news of how your donations have been spent. Also a plea on their behalf for your time and talents. If anyone could help with the Treasurer’s role, we would love to hear from you. As we drew towards the end of term, there was much to participate in including the Woking High School Christmas concert, our traditional Christmas meal and our annual Combined Carol Service (with Horsell Village and Horsell Junior Schools). Woking High School finishes term on Wednesday 21 December at 12 noon and begins the Spring term on Tuesday 3 January at 8.55 a.m. On behalf of everyone at Woking High School, may I wish you and your families a very happy Christmas and a successful 2017 - I am sure Woking High School students will ensure that this is the case as we move into the next term and new year. With best wishes. Jane Abbott, Headteacher 2 Remembrance ONE OF WOKING HIGH SCHOOL’S performances, with the music from the AIMS is to encourage and nurture windband and choir complemented by students’ spiritual, moral, social and a range of appropriate and evocative cultural development. These qualities readings. The range and depth of the were very much in evidence during programme clearly moved the audience and the first two weeks of November as the school received many compliments. the school participated in a range of activities related to the theme of “What a professional polished performance Remembrance. The school community from all the students.” was able to reflect, remember and honour “We wanted to congratulate you and the those who have sacrificed themselves to other staff members involved on another secure and protect our freedom. fantastic concert last night – it was very Assemblies and tutor based activities moving and a wonderful showcase of all- in the build up to Remembrance Day round talent, both musically and from the focussed on the theme of remembrance speakers.” and in particular, the role of Indian Whilst mainly focussing on the events of soldiers in the First World War. Students Photograph taken by Tony Charters 1916 and the Battle of the Somme, the were taught about the religious and concert programme was notably diverse. ethnic diversity of the Indian armies and The Muslim hymn, “Welcome to Medina” High School students took centre stage the contributions of individual soldiers debuted in September at the “A Very at the Service of Remembrance at the such as Khudadad Khan, the first Indian English Islam Garden Party” event and war memorial in Woking Town Centre. soldier to win the Victoria Cross for as a result of the highly positive feedback Rithika Muralidharan, Aleena Sahi, his actions near Ypres on 31 October received, was performed again by the Stephen Moore, Julia Twiston-Davis 1914. The school has been focussing Chamber Choir and Woodwind Ensemble. and Anna Underwood were presented on the topic of Indian Soldiers through with poppy crosses by the veterans in our investigation of the Muslim Burial At 11am on the 11 November itself, attendance and laid them at the foot of Ground on Horsell Common. This Woking High School fell silent in line with the memorial. Sam Webb in Year 10 was exploration of Woking’s diversity and the rest of the nation and observed a two selected by the Bishop of Guildford to marking the centenary of World War One minutes’ silence. This was accompanied by read his poem entitled “A Battle That were aligned in November in a number the playing of the Last Post and Reveille Wasn’t Ours” in front of the 700 strong of ways. by Jude Rainsborough in Year 9. Poppy audience. Sam’s poem was one of the petals were released from the top floor of On Thursday 10 November, we held winning entries in the Year 9 competition the main building and floated down to the our annual Remembrance concert at held last Spring and once again reflected ground as the haunting notes of the bugle St Mary’s Church in Horsell. We were our exploration of the 27 Muslim call echoed around the school buildings extremely proud of the quality of the soldiers who were buried on Horsell and grounds. Common in World Wars One and Two. Following this, a wreath was laid at the To complete the theme of remembrance, front of the school and crosses were the annual Year 9 visit to the battlefields planted around it by representatives from of the Great War was launched in each tutor group.