CONTENTS OCTOBER 2012 Headteacher’s Message Arts and Literacy Evening Transport Notice Volume 12 | Issue 1 Page 2 Page 11 Page 16 A world of Challenge, Inspiration and Achievement AcaDEMY EXCEllENCE! ‘I am not sure I could have produced HIGHCLIFFE something of this standard at the age of In the previous issue we were delighted to 16 or 17 – I would have been very proud of SCHOOL VISION inform you that Aaron Page of Year 12 had myself if I had! The students have shown STATEMENT made the shortlist in the Chemistry section remarkable insight and this reflects the of the Academy Excellence Awards and was skilled teachers who have inspired them.’ soon to attend the dinner where the winners “I believe in using what you have, would be announced. Aaron has, not surprisingly, been thoroughly instead of mourning for that which enthused by the whole process and it you do not. In thirty years time, This took place on 4th July and we are very has really ignited his ambition to apply to I want to be able to look back at pleased to announce that Aaron was selected Cambridge University to do engineering. my youth and know that I used my by the judge of the Chemistry section, Dr Chris The school will be supporting him in this. talents fully, that I wasted nothing” Smith of Cambridge University, as the overall He was very keen to point out after the winner of this prestigious award. As winner, award how helpful he found the support A former Highcliffe Sixth Form Student Aaron receives not only the splendid trophy of Mr Booker and Mrs Barclay in reading but also a cheque for £1000 and an internship drafts of his essay. at GlaxoSmithKline, sponsors of the Chemistry award. Aaron is a prime example of what we are working towards in the Highcliffe Learning Dr Smith was in fact so impressed by Aaron’s Alliance. He has been working this year, in essay on how chemistry can contribute to the partnership with fellow Year 12 mathematician future well-being of society, by the creation Michael Smith, as a ‘Maths Mentor’ to a group of alternative energy sources, that he is of Year 2 and Year 3 pupils at Mudeford, the currently arranging for it to be published. school that he himself attended. Both have He commented to Aaron that his work was been highly impressed with the quality of the at a level higher than he would expect from Year 2 children and who knows, perhaps one an undergraduate, not faint praise from a day one of those students will be winning at professor at Cambridge University. He added, the Academy Excellence Awards presentation. www.highcliffeschool.com HIGHCLIFFE LEARNING ALLiaNCE HORDLE CE PRIMARY SCHooL DEAR ALL The speed at which the HLA has not only formed but has had tangible impact on our pupils is a credit to SIZZLING SUMMER both Highcliffe and all our schools. The sharing of professional intellectual capital across our schools has It was only last year that I contacted headteachers with been amazing. It has brought our partnership closer together; I am excited for the future. a view to building on our specialist school partnership SCHooL SUCCESS! work. Over the last ten years, as a specialist school, we Fiona Adams, Headteacher have worked in the various feeder schools in support Hordle CE Primary School of languages, science, mathematics and ICT. On what were to be the hottest style, the students worked as one This has been valued. days of the Summer, twenty Year 7 amazing team, and planned, wrote, students took part in a Performing rehearsed and performed their When we all met we were excited by the opportunity Arts Summer School which ran for very own musical. In the blistering to extend and deepen this work through our Academy three days during the holidays. heat of the first week of the school and then soldering. Lots programme. So much so that one headteacher, Mr Starting with a blank canvas, the holiday, and with the help and THE HIGHCLIFFE of soldering! There was a lot to A YEAR IN HIGHCLIFFE, Peter Pretlove, proposed that our partnership be called students created their own original guidance of magical Mrs McGrath ECOMETER be done and we were working A YEAR IN HAIKU the Highcliffe Learning Alliance (HLA) because of the 25 minute musical performance and the very talented Mr Gould, right up to the deadline, but strong vision, commitment and provision being agreed which included especially the students worked hard to Monday 19th March. It was an eventually it was finished and it The teaching and production of Haiku poetry has between us for the benefit of all our children, staff and composed songs, dance and drama. combine their creative talents. epic day for the Eco Council who worked beautifully. been a particularly strong area at Highcliffe and has school communities. All the songs, scripts and storyline met up in the purple reception benefitted greatly from our strong links with Johoku ‘Torch Tragedy…the best day ever!’ were totally original and made up area of Highcliffe School to Each group of Hordle School pupils Boys’ School in Hiroshima. As headteachers we could commit to the vision and told the story of the Olympic by the students. start the day. What for? Well, left our little talk happy and the day agree practical areas for us all to work together. The torch which had been stolen by Hordle School had kindly asked turned out to be a brilliant success. At the end of Year 7 the students produced wonderful first year has flown by and as heads we are both proud an eco-warrior who wanted to It was an intriguing presentation us to make ‘something’ for their It took weeks for the production poems in the Haiku form to reflect on the months and and pleased to see the exceptional response of our replace it with a more eco-friendly of the skills of everyone there. The ‘Ecoawareness’ week. of the Ecometer and it required a seasons of a year. Here are some of those produced by staff and pupils who after all have made it successful. alternative. As the story unfolded, storyline gripped the audience lot of hard work to get it finished. students who came to us from Hordle. This first Highcliffe Learning Alliance Special Edition can all the characters went on a journey and got them sitting on the edge Discussions with the talented chaps Hours were spent soldering (for only give you a flavour of the achievements so far. We to find the torch which involved of their seats wondering what in the Da Vinci building generated a Mr Craven), but the real star is Mr hope you enjoy the articles and we look forward to the many comedy moments and a few would happen next. In a dramatic few ideas. We eventually decided to Townshend, who designed and On a summer’s day future of working together for all our children. surprises along the way! concluding section the final torch- make an ‘Ecometer’- a bike, linked constructed the Ecometer. In his Fun, laughter, boiling beaches bearer was Mr Albert Square, the to a turbo trainer, dynamo and LED own words… genius. We could have Scorching seaside joy Finally, well done Aaron! Your achievement typifies On the final day of the Summer last survivor of WW I. Unfortunately display that would explain to the never even have come close to what we are about and what can be achieved. As our School, a large audience of relatives Albert tripped and dropped the Hordle School pupils just how much achieving the result of the finished Sebastion Berthiaume younger pupils move through our partnership it is and friends of the cast attended the torch, and the torch was stolen by electricity you need to power up bike without Mr Townshend. so rewarding to see them grow into aspiring young performance which was performed a mysterious hippie… Meanwhile - appliances in the home. This was to Thanks are due to Mr Nicholls for men and women who drive forwards into successful, to a high level of professionalism by exercising his vocal chords, ‘Maul encourage them to save electricity constructing the dynamo on the On a summer’s day rewarding futures with such optimism. Thank you to all students using props, costumes, McPartney’ opened the Olympic by turning off lights and appliances bike and Mr Evans, who lent us Joy and laughter fill the air those of you who then selflessly work with our younger lighting, sound and set. Well done to ceremony singing his number one when you don’t need to use them. the turbo trainer: Thank you! Also, children as role-models and support their learning. all the Year 7’s who took part! Below song ‘Winners Like You.’ The bad Lots of hard work then ensued thanks to Hordle School for having Hot scorching beaches is a reflection on the school by one news about the stolen Olympic with Mr Townshend designing and us and for giving us the opportunity Jake Wright Thank you all! of the Year 7 (sorry, now Year 8!) torch followed. This meant that it constructing component boards, to show them our Ecometer. students who attended the school. was time for Super Kate and her Judith Potts | Headteacher team to step in. A fierce battle Scorching hot sunlight ‘The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic between the hippie and Super Kate Was beating down on my face ceremonies may have overwhelmed caused the hippie to throw the torch the world with their wow factor, in rage, creating a dramatic moment Whilst I had great fun but these were NOTHING compared for the policemen! The hippie then Matthew C with the sizzling spectacle that explained why he had stolen the ignited the audience of the talented torch in the first place.