Aspire & Achieve Together Holcombe Newsletter December 2019

CONTENTS Message from the Director of Education 1 Holcombe Welcomes New Principal 2 School Captains’ Team 3 Thinking Accreditation 3 ABCD Term 1 Winner 3 Senior Maths Competition 4 Work Experience Success 4

Remembrance Day 5 Sixth Form Mock Election 5 Sailing Trip 6 Duke of Edinburgh Expedition 7 Sea Cadet Summer 8 Sea Cadet Residential Trip 9 Japan Trip 11 Macbeth Trip 12 Knife Angel 12 Mastery, Endeavour and Thinking Cyber Discovery Group 13 Year 7 Thinking Skills 13 Open Morning Prize Draw Winner 13 Aspirations Day 14 Public Speaking Success 14 Operation Christmas Child Warehouse Trip 15 Children in Need Fundraising 16 Day of the Dead Competition 16 Sports 17 Holcombe Library Grand Opening 18 Community Event 19 Space Chase Reading Challenge 19 Christmas Carol Concert 20 12 Tins of Christmas 20 Christmas Card Competition Winners 20 Poetry Live! 21 Archie’s Boxing 22 Charlie’s Crime Writing Club 22 Holcombe Association 22 Clubs 23 Term Dates 24 Key Dates 25 Page 1 HGS Newsletter M ESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION

A warm welcome to our final newsletter of 2019, packed full of reports outlining the successes and triumphs of our Holcombe community over the past two terms. In keeping with the festive season, we have much to celebrate and be thankful for as we reflect on recent events. Gaining accreditation from the University of Exeter as a nationally accredited Thinking School was a great achievement for us, and testament to the skills and talents of our teachers in delivering an effective cognitive education for our students. Thanks goes to Ms Tanti who led on this initiative for Holcombe with Miss Cook. I was also delighted to support the launch of our Holcombe library. This is a fantastic resource centre for our students, and indicative of our continual drive to promote and support their reading and research skills. These are critical skills for their future success, and I thank Mr Still and Mr Claessens for their energy and dedication in overseeing the creation and successful daily operation of the library. On a personal level, I greatly enjoyed reading the third stave of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” to assembled students in the library last week, whilst wearing a Scrooge-esque top hat, courtesy of Mr Still! Our students here at Holcombe continue to make us proud, both by their own achievements and their wonderful community spirit. As is now traditional, Miss Martin led the Shoebox appeal as part of Operation Christmas Child, and we were delighted to deliver an amazing 269 shoeboxes to the Tonbridge depot. In addition, and for the second year running, Holcombe topped the Trust by one of our very own students, Orlando Sarkodie in Year 7, winning the annual Thinking Schools Trust Christmas card competition. Congratulations to Orlando. I would also like to commend and thank Daniel Marks, Thea Baker and the School Captains’ Team, as they come to the end of their term of office. They have made an excellent contribution to our community and I have greatly enjoyed my termly Leadership Lunches with them, where we have discussed student council agendas and their ongoing work in supporting school development. I wish them, and all of our Year 11 and Year 13 students, every success as they enter the revision period for next year’s public examinations. Thus, as we enter a new decade, we enter into an exciting new era for our senior leadership team. Mr Preston is officially joining us as Principal from January, but has spent much time with us in the past term meeting staff and students and preparing for this role. I look forward to continuing to work alongside him as he leads our school forward. I am also delighted to announce the secondment of Miss Martin as Assistant Head of School for Personal Development, Behaviour and Welfare. A thank you and farewell to Mr Day, who will now return to his substantive role at . We have been grateful for his interim leadership of the school, alongside Mrs Villalta, who will continue to support Holcombe in her role as Head of Staffing and Operations for the Chatham Hub of Thinking Schools Academy Trust. Finally, a thank you on behalf of the staff and students to all our parents, carers and families for your continued support of our school. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Ms M Gage Director of Education Page 2

Holcombe Grammar School Welcomes New Principal

Mr Preston will be joining as its new Principal from January. Mr Preston is an exceptional school leader, with more than 12 years’ leadership experience.

Mr Preston, born and raised in , has worked in schools in the county throughout his career and is currently Deputy Headteacher at Thomas Aveling School in Rochester, where he has led on school improvement and raising standards, and played an important role in the school being rated Good by Ofsted. Prior to his current role at Thomas Aveling School, Mr Preston served as an Assistant Head at Hayes School in Bromley and was an Assistant Head of Year at Cator Park School in Beckenham.

Mandy Gage will continue supporting both Holcombe Grammar School and also in Chatham, in her role as Director of Education, Chatham Hub, for Thinking Schools Academy Trust.

Message from Mr Preston

It is my pleasure to introduce myself as the new Principal of Holcombe Grammar School from January 2020.

Since being appointed in September, I have enjoyed getting to know the school and the Thinking Schools Academy Trust through a series of visits and meetings with staff and students. It was also a real pleasure to attend the Carol Concert last week to see some superb performances from our choir and musicians.

I have taught in Kent schools for over twenty years and led in Senior Leadership Teams for the past twelve years, in two different schools. As a parent of two secondary age children myself, I know very well the importance of children being happy at school and being supported and encouraged to become their best selves. I will work closely with everyone at, and associated with, Holcombe to ensure that all students continue to have every opportunity to excel both academically and socially.

I really look forward to meeting you all in the new year and working with all staff, students, governors and parents to continue to build on the wide array of strengths and achievements of Holcombe as we move into a new decade. In the meantime, I offer my very best wishes for a Happy Christmas and a prosperous and healthy New Year to you all.

School Captains’ Team and Prefects 2019 Page 3

A big thank you to last year’s School Captains’ Team and Prefects. They have done a brilliant job assisting at school events, assemblies, Parent Consultation Evenings and more. New Captains are being appointed and we will introduce the new team next year.

Captains’ Team

Head Boy Daniel Marks Head Girl Thea Baker Deputy Head Boy Elliot Odom

Deputy Head Girl Bethany Franqueira Head Prefect Martin May

Sports Captain Caitlyn Ehrich

Captains’ Team Hanna Roob and Harry Osborne

Thinking Accreditation

Holcombe Grammar School is proud to announce that we have been accredited by the University of Exeter as a ‘Thinking School.’ This status means Holcombe is among schools striving to teach students to be creative and independent thinkers. This is a status we will hold until September 2022. In their report, as part of the accreditation process, the University of Exeter’s Graduate School of Education praised the leadership team and wider teaching staff for “actively seeking opportunities to continuously drive improvements in learning and teaching” and “creating a positive learning culture.”

ABCD Term 1 Winner

Congratulations to Miss Green, Office Apprentice/Admin Assistant at Holcombe Grammar School, who has been announced as joint ABCD Winner this term. ABCD Winners are chosen across the Thinking Schools Academy Trust to recognise outstanding contributions from Trust staff. Miss Green was nominated because ‘since joining she always goes above and beyond in her duties; she ensures the students feel comfortable when coming into the office to ask questions and ask for support. She is a dedicated member of the office team and is always willing to help and support in the multitude of tasks within the Main School Office. She has doubled as our receptionist, communicating with staff and parents, manned reprographics and is a constant support with the admissions of our students. Ellie has exceeded all expectations of the role of an apprentice and is a valued member of our team.’ She was presented with her certificate and prize by our Chief Executive Officer, Mr Stuart Gardner.

SIXTH FORM NEWS Page 4 Senior Maths Competition

Several Year 12 and Year 13 students were involved in the Senior Maths competition on Thursday 7th November, which is an individual national competition lasting 90 minutes, where 19 students gained awards ranging from Gold to Bronze. This is a fantastic achievement! The test called upon students' inherent problem solving and reasoning skills. Students also needed to recall and apply a high level of mathematical knowledge. Johannes Sadler, who achieved Gold, will now proceed to a further round. We wish him the best of luck and will keep Holcombe parents up to date.

Work Experience Success

Year 13 student Daniel Belsey recently completed a week’s work experience in Councillor Vince Maple’s office at Gun Wharf, Chatham. Cllr Maple is the Councillor for Chatham Central, Medway Labour Spokesperson for Business Support and Leader of the Labour and Co-operative Group.

After Daniel’s successful week, Mr Maple wrote a letter to our Director of Education Ms Gage, informing her how impressed he had been with Daniel’s work. He spoke highly of how Daniel was ‘enthusiastic, polite and hardworking and engaged with the variety of tasks he undertook.’ Mr Maple described how Daniel had attended meetings with him in which he had taken a genuine interest and had ‘performed brilliantly’ when participating in local community radio alongside him. Ms Gage thanked Mr Maple for taking the time to write to us with this encouraging feedback. Ms Gage was delighted to hear about Daniel and has since met with Daniel to personally thank and congratulate him.

Daniel commented about his week in the working world: ‘During work experience with Vince Maple at the Medway Labour and Co-operative Group, I enjoyed a range of activities from local TV and radio interviews to important meetings with government and shadow cabinet ministers. An insightful week of experience was helped by the warmth I was welcomed with by Councillor Maple and his colleagues within the group. I cannot speak highly enough of the experience and people I met. I would one-hundred per cent recommend this opportunity to younger students, as it is both enjoyable and enlightening.’

We would like to thank Daniel for displaying such a positive attitude, fully engaging with the tasks and challenges presented to him and proving himself as a fantastic role model to our younger students as well as to his peers. We hope other students undertaking work experience, particularly our Year 10s who will be going on work experience in February 2020, will take inspiration from Daniel.

Key Dates Monday 6th January: Staff Development Day W/C 6th January: Year 12 Prelims W/C 27th January and 3rd February: Year 11 Prelims Thursday 6th February: Year 9 Parent Consultation Evening 4:30pm-6:30pm Remembrance Day Page 5

On Monday 11th November Holcombe students were able to wear uniforms for the scouts, cadets, and other groups, as a mark of respect to our fallen heroes. We were proud to see many students in uniform, standing in support and respect of our Armed Forces. A Remembrance Assembly was held and a two minute silence was observed by the whole school at 11am.

Meanwhile, thirty Cadets from the Medway Victory Sea Cadets joined former servicemen and women alongside current members of the Armed Forces in marking Remembrance Sunday, marching through Chatham High Street up to the memorial service at Fort Pitt Hill. The Officer in Charge commended the Cadets for their presentation and confidence.

Sixth Form Mock Election

Holcombe got into the spirit of the General Election with our own Holcombe Mock Election taking place within School. Our School Captains’ team organised and held a debate on Friday 6th December in the run up to the Mock Election. Daniel Marks represented Labour, Elliott Odom represented the Liberal Democrats, Thea Baker represented the Conservatives and Martin May represented the Green Party. The debate was chaired by School Captain George Atzev. During the debate, the Captains were put under pressure, having to present to their audience their key policies and encourage their student voters to vote for them.

It was great to see that the debate was attended by over forty students, who took an active part in the discussion; after the Party Leaders summarised their policies, the audience were given the opportunity to ask them questions about their policies. It was inspiring to see questions being asked that showed students have been taking an interest in and engaging with current affairs. To persuade voters to vote in their favour, our School Captains needed to have researched the party they were representing thoroughly to be able to answer questions on the spot. They also needed to display strong public speaking skills. Sailing Trip Page 6

September saw Holcombe and Victory students spending a week sailing the ‘Faramir.’ Our students travelled from Chatham to Portsmouth in a trip organised by the charity Cirdan Sailing Trust, which helps young people experience life at sea and build skills. This venture allowed them to develop skills including problem-solving, taking responsibility, teamwork and communicating.

The trip allowed our students, who were in different year groups, to socialise and work together to raise funds for the trip and then sail the ship. This brought them out of their comfort zones. Our students took responsibility in organising and running various fundraising activities before they set sail, including a raffle, tombola, a tag day and a couple of cake/sweets and popcorn sales. Recently they undertook a sponsored walk where they successfully completed ten thousand steps per day for one week. One of our students, Matthew in Year 8, raised a brilliant £166.60 from his sponsors.

On the ship, our students enjoyed being given new opportunities, which included learning to sail, navigate and to cook for themselves. They were also responsible for the running, cleanliness and order of the vessel. The Faramir docked at Yarmouth and Grain on its way to Portsmouth, allowing the boys some time on land for sight- seeing. One of our boys expressed that his favourite part of the trip was ‘sailing under the stars’ while other students said they loved the views they saw at sea.

Page 7 Duke of Edinburgh Expedition

The Duke of Edinburgh Expedition took place in September and was a huge success. Students and staff were lucky with the weather and all participants were enthusiastic.

The expedition started on Friday evening, which was extremely busy with pupils arriving, setting up tents and cooking dinner on Trangias. Pupils were excited about the adventures ahead of them and for the chance to show the assessors their skills and knowledge.

Saturday was a successful day for the majority of our groups. The walks were long and there were a few moments where students lost their way, but staff were incredibly proud of them all for reaching Wormshill. Students displayed perseverance and problem-solving skills, despite mishaps of broken bags and heavy loads.

The next day, the groups set off early after a good night’s sleep and hearty breakfast. All groups managed to get back to Bexon Lane, with seven of the nine groups passing the expedition qualification. The remaining two groups completed a short walk at a later date to enable them to pass.

The students now need to ensure the rest of their work for DofE is completed and signed off, in order to receive their hard- earned certificates and hopefully move on to the Silver Award.

Mr Bridges, DofE Coordinator, is proud of all our students and would like to extend his gratitude to the staff who assisted in organising and supporting the weekend. Holcombe would also like to thank parents and carers for their continuing support.

Holcombe Grammar School is providing the opportunity for current Year 9 students to take part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Bronze Award in 2020. As well as being a fun opportunity for students to build on skills, work as a team and help within the community, the Award is also highly regarded by higher education establishments and employers. Sea Cadet Summer Page 8

A brilliant summer was had by the Medway Victory Sea Cadets. The cadets spent the summer boating, mostly at the Royal Docks Boating Station, gaining great experience on the water, as well as achieving qualifications. The qualifications cadets achieved were Rowing: Taster, Competent Crew and Supervised Coxswain; Sailing: RYA Stage 1 Stage 2; Paddlesport: Start, Discover and Explore awards; Windsurfing: RYA Stage 1 and level 2; Powerboating: RYA Level 1 and level 2.

Many cadets have enjoyed staying on HMS Cavalier at Chatham Dockyard, earning their Naval acquaint and also Marine Engineering. Others travelled to HMS Temeraire in Portsmouth and spent a week gaining their Physical Training Instructor Basic Specialisation – an amazing achievement for cadets so young.

Walking days took us all around different parts of Kent with some more Adventurous Training weekends trying the cadets’ hands at archery, rock climbing, bushcraft and mountain biking. Cadets also entered the District First Aid Competition. Cadet First Class Gurskis came second in the District! Cadets entered the District Cadet Skills Challenge competition as well. The cadets have made great memories and experiences and are looking forward to another year of learning, competitions, action and adventure whilst welcoming all of their new recruits.

Medway Victory Sea Cadets was set up in 2018. The unit is available to all students at The Victory Academy and Holcombe Grammar School. At present, we have both Year 7 and Year 8 students attending, who are now learning and experiencing the Sea Cadet Corps and all that it offers. The unit aims to give young people an experience that will help them grow into the individuals they want to be in a safe and friendly environment. Through various activities and adventures, the cadets learn teamwork, loyalty, self-confidence, commitment, self-discipline and honesty. Activities include sailing, canoeing, rowing, archery, shooting, camping and adventurous training including expedition training. Drill, armed drill and piping, seamanship, drumming, marching band, first aid, engineering, catering and stewarding are all learned, which can lead to a BTEC qualification equivalent to five GCSEs.

Cadets are expected to regularly attend the unit on Mondays 17:45 – 20:15 at The Victory Academy in smart, tidy uniform and to respect all the volunteer staff whilst attending and learning. Many external courses are available to cadets and promotion through the ranks to become a Petty Officer Cadet.

To find out more about the Sea Cadet Corps, search 'Medway Victory Sea Cadet Unit' on Facebook or contact [email protected], or contact Mrs Villalta at Holcombe Grammar School. Sea Cadet Residential Trip Page 9

Medway Victory Sea Cadets, which comprises Year 7, 8 and 9 pupils from Holcombe Grammar School and The Victory Academy, spent a fantastic October half term at HMS Raleigh in Torpoint, Cornwall. HMS Raleigh is the Royal Navy’s new entry training establishment.

The Cadets set off early on Friday 18th October, at 4:45am, arriving in time to participate in sporting activities just before dinner. Mealtimes were held in the ‘Mess’, which was about 750m away, up a hill, and cadets had to be in uniform and had to march to and from all meals. A tannoy woke up the cadets at 6am every morning and inspections took place of cleaning stations twice a day.

The Cadets visited Mount Edgcumbe House and Country Park and completed a question and answer orienteering course which enabled them to learn about the country park as well as local history; they learned about air raids in the area in World War II intended to close down the port and shipyard. Cadets did physical training and played sports in the evening. They also had a presentation regarding the Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Later, the Cadets went coasteering around Rame Head, which included swimming into caves and jumping off of ever higher perches into the swell. It was cold and rough, but also exciting and empowering. In the evening they were joined by other cadets from all over the country who were there to attend various national courses. Everyone worked to get their uniforms ready for inspection and ensure a high shine was noticeable on their boots.

On Monday (which was the start of the official course) Cadets completed an assault course and had to march all the way back from the course soaking wet. They did themselves proud, remaining positive and determined. In the afternoon they visited the Phase 1 New Entry Training facilities to see how training is carried out after joining the Royal Navy as a rating, followed by a guided tour of the Submarine School, where they were able to view Tomahawk Cruise missiles.

The next day cadets had a tour of Plymouth Harbour. They had the opportunity to steer the ship and listen to an explanation on the Royal Navy ships. In the afternoon they went tenpin bowling in Plymouth, then played a game of rounders.

Cadets were given the opportunity to study ‘damage control’ where they Page 10 had to fill in holes in the side of a compartment to stop water pouring in. They then had the opportunity to practice firefighting and learned to put out fires using foam fire extinguishers and fire hoses. In the evening, Cadet PTIs ran the PT and sport session in the sports complex on site. It was great practice for the PTIs, and provided an interesting activity for all the cadets. Cadets worked through the sea survival course on Thursday, which involved having to jump into a swimming pool with a self-inflating life jacket, then climb into a life raft. This was challenging but rewarding, requiring them to take risks, be brave and learn their own strengths. Then Cadets went indoor rock climbing.

Friday morning saw the cadets woken early (5:45am) as they had to be packed and ready by 6:30 for the journey home. The course was very demanding with many exciting new experiences but lots of fun too.

Holcombe Grammar School’s Cadet French said: ‘The week away to HMS Raleigh in Cornwall was excellent! I had a great time & look forward to the next trip away. Whilst there we did coasteering (jumping off cliffs and swimming in the sea), an assault course, a harbour tour, tenpin bowling, firefighting, Clip ‘n’ Climb and damage control (simulating being on a sinking ship!). We also got a taste of Navy life as we slept in a mess deck, were woken very early and had to march to meals in full cadet uniform! It was a jam-packed week, was very tiring, but lots of fun!’

Cadet Park said: ‘Up nice and early at 4.30 to begin the seven hour journey to Cornwall. After catching up on some well needed sleep, we arrived at Raleigh to do some exercise to wake us up, then a film night to end a long day. The next day, a march to breakfast woke us up, then we set off to Mount Edgcumbe. It was a very good experience which involved lots of walking and was very interesting. The next day was one of my favourite days of the week: coasteering. It was an action- packed, challenging adventure I will most likely never do again, I am very proud of what I accomplished. Then came the soggiest day of all – the assault course. It was high, wet, muddy and exhausting. I am proud that I got through it and will probably never do something quite so muddy again. The soggy march back was also quite an experience. The next day we went out for a tour of the harbour, where we got to drive a boat! Later we got to relax and go bowling, which was just to have some fun. Wednesday was my favourite day: firefighting and damage control at the Triumph Squadron. The HMS Chaos was an experience I can relate to, and it was challenging but fun. Finally, on Thursday we did our sea survival training which was very exhausting but fun, and we finished our last day at Raleigh with Clip ‘n’ Climb, which was really good!’ Page 11

Japan Trip

Students from Holcombe Grammar School and Rochester Grammar School arrived safely in Japan on Saturday 19th October.

The group spent Sunday at the Samukawa Shinto Shrine. On Monday they headed to Yokosuka, where they visited the Will Adams memorial, where a presentation was conducted at the shrine followed by a trip to the harbour to see the Mikasa Memorial Ship. The day ended with a trip to Kamakura for some shopping and a visit to the shinto shrine in the centre of the city, the Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū.

Tuesday was all about being caught in the rain of a tropical storm whilst exploring Enoshima and the Sea Candle Lighthouse. The group experienced a tram journey to the Kamakura Buddhist Shrine and the Kamakura Hasedera temple, then back to Hiratsuka for dinner.

Wednesday saw our students visit the popular tourist attraction the Tokyo Tower, a tower inspired by the Eiffel Tower, and the second tallest structure in Japan, standing at 333 metres. Our students enjoyed warm weather all day – 24 degrees – and bright sunshine. They headed back to Kobe via the bullet train. The highlight of the day for Mrs Obee was visiting a shiba inu cafe.

The group were busy on Thursday. It was an early start as they headed to Himeji Castle in the morning, before some light shopping, then back to Kobe to ride the cable car to the top for some wet and cloudy views. Finally, Friday was spent experiencing school life in Japan at the Hyōgo Prefectural Kobe High School, and were treated to views over the city and towards Osaka. The group sighted Mount Fuji on their travel to Odawara, which had previously been hidden by clouds and rain.

Students arrived safely back in London. We hope they enjoyed this unforgettable trip. Page 12

Macbeth Trip

‘Something wicked this way comes!’ (Macbeth Act 4)

October saw students from Year 11 and the Holcombe English Department visit Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London. The group participated in a guided tour, with the opportunity to engage in a Macbeth workshop conducted by the theatre company. This was a very humbling experience, to see where and how Shakespeare's works are presented and to be coached on the various theatrical interpretations of Macbeth. Pupils explored the play in this new context, with a particular focus on poetic verse and dramatic performance.

After touring the grounds of the theatre, pupils were granted access to the Globe's rehearsal studios to explore a variety of scenes they have studied at Holcombe. Between workshops, the group had the pleasure of enjoying lunch on the bankside of the Thames, overlooking London's many landmarks including St Paul's Cathedral and of course, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre itself.

Knife Angel

Our Year 10s and Year 11s visited the Knife Angel sculpture at on the 9th and 10th September. The Knife Angel is the National Monument against Violence and Aggression, which was on display at Rochester Cathedral until the end of September. The sculpture is made up of 100,000 knives that had been handed into 43 police stations across the UK and then blunted, sterilised and worked at the British Ironwork Centre, alongside artist Alfie Bradley, to form this powerful twenty foot sculpture.

Our students were moved by the sculpture, as well as the statistics about knife crime and real stories, alongside photos of victims, that were presented to them in the crypt of the Cathedral. Our students wrote down their insights into seeing the sculpture and after consideration some of our students chose to sign a book at the Cathedral, pledging not to carry a knife. Mastery, Endeavour and Thinking Cyber Discovery Group Page 13

Miss Lee is thrilled to report that 100% of the students in her MET Cyber Discovery Group, which takes place after school on Wednesdays, have completed Stage One of the programme and can now progress onto Stage Two. A brilliant achievement from Alfie, Archie, Craig, Edwin, Hathem, Joseph, Joshua, Kacper, Ryan and Theodor.

Cyber Discovery is a free Government-run programme aimed at helping students aged 13-18 develop cyber security skills. At Stage One participants underwent a series of interactive challenges where they needed to crack codes and problem-solve. At this stage around 40% of the cohort for this year’s intake were cut from the programme, so our students should be very proud of themselves for sailing through to the next level, achieving either thirteen marks or a full fourteen marks out of fourteen! There are four stages in total and if they progress another two stages, they may be invited to the Cyber Security Conference in the summer, a residential camp where they will meet industry experts. Holcombe is proud of our future Cyber Security heroes.

Year 7 Thinking Skills Open Morning Prize Draw Winner

On Thursday 19th September Year 7 tutors Well done Robert from St Mary’s Island School, spent a day with their form groups studying the winner of our Open Morning Prize Draw! Thinking Skills that form the basis of Holcombe’s approach to teaching and learning. Robert joined many other Year 5 and 6 students Students and teachers investigated the value of across local schools who attended our Open using the Q-matrix to ask high level questions Morning on Saturday 12th October. After visiting and De Bono’s Thinking Hats to be more various areas of the school and collecting stamps on productive, focused and mindfully involved. his card, he submitted his card into the prize draw. Students explored the eight Thinking Maps His name was selected at random and he was invited which are visual tools that help organise back to Holcombe on the 22nd November to receive knowledge for problem solving, decision his prize! Robert was greeted and congratulated by making and processing of information. They Mr Gardner, our Chief Executive Officer, and then spent time studying the Thinker’s Keys, Mr Day, our Interim Head of School. which develop critical and creative thinking, and most importantly analysed the Holcombe Habits to be applied daily.

More information about the tools can be found on the school website here: https://www.holcombegrammar.org.uk/ about/what-is-athinking-school/

Aspirations Day Page 14

On Friday 1st November, Holcombe was pleased to welcome Tracey Crouch, MP for Chatham and Aylesford, who delivered a speech to our Sixth Formers at our annual Aspirations Day. After Tracey Crouch’s speech, Year 12 continued their learning with sessions on Unifrog, a website designed to support students in the next steps and decision making. An additional speaker specialising in learning and performance helped students to look at different ways to revise and learn.

Johannes Sadler, Year 13 explains: ‘Tracey Crouch MP visited Holcombe on the morning of our “Aspirations Day” and spoke on the twin themes of, first, her career in politics, and secondly, how she manages her work/life balance. She explained her decision to resign as Minister for Sport over the issue of fixed-odds betting terminals, and her choice not to accept another position as a government Minister, as it would have put too much strain on her when combined with the responsibility of bringing up her son. The talk was interesting for anyone contemplating a career in politics, but also touched on how personal and professional choices affect one’s life. The section of the morning which I found most valuable, however, was when the discussion turned to questions which we had prepared. It was my first experience of local politics, and the schemes which Tracey Crouch mentioned drew my attention to some of the issues which are tackled by local government. As many of us have recently turned 18, or will soon be of voting age, this was a good opportunity to think about our beliefs and the extent to which they are reflected by the behaviours of politicians in Medway and Westminster. The MP faced questions about the leader of the Conservative Party and its opponents in the lead up to the imminent general election.

Whether one was convinced by Tracey Crouch’s responses or not, the morning made this listener, at least, appreciate that the outcome of elections has a tangible impact on the local community, and that it is important for us to cast our votes. We were grateful to Tracey Crouch for her time and engagement.'

Public Speaking Success

Holcombe Grammar School was represented at the Medway Rotary International Club 'Youth Speaks' Public Speaking Competition on Friday 22nd November by two students. Benjamin Button, Year 10, spoke about the impact of sport and Samuel Hall, Year 8, spoke about anxiety. There was an array of talented speakers on show from most of the Medway schools in both the Under 14 category and the 14-17 group.

Benjamin Button was highly commended for his fluent speech about sport in the older category. Meanwhile, Samuel Hall delighted the judges and audience with his polished speaking performance about anxiety. Samuel was announced as the Under 14 winner. Samuel displayed skilled use of tone, emphasis and gravitas at the lectern to triumph. Samuel will now move onto a Kent final in February 2020. Speaking about his success, Samuel commented “although the nerves were killing me I am delighted my speech went so well.” He added “I have discovered if you keep practising and trying hard you will achieve your goal.” Samuel's rehearsal sessions paid dividends. He honed his speech down to ensure clarity and dramatic feeling was evident in the final presentation. We wish Samuel every success in the next round. Operation Christmas Child Warehouse Trip Page 15

Last month selected students joined Miss Martin in dropping off the shoeboxes donated to Holcombe at the Operation Christmas Child Warehouse in Tonbridge.

Miss Martin invited along the students who had been helping her organise the shoeboxes donated to the Office as a thank you for their hard work in preparing the boxes. These students have dedicated a lot of time to the charity appeal – Thea Baker and George Atzev in particular were Operation Christmas Child heroes, spending a free period loading up the minibus with the boxes ready for the trip!

At the Warehouse, students listened to a presentation about the appeal, which provided them with more information about these shoeboxes. These are collected in the millions every year to help children in over 100 countries. Our students learned about the relief work Samaritan’s Purse, which runs the Operation Christmas Child Appeal, supports. Students toured the warehouse, seeing how the shoeboxes are carefully checked by volunteers in case of inappropriate items, taped up, repaired if broken and packed up ready to be sent off. Students then had a real treat – they were invited to join the volunteers in sorting the boxes. Students chose their desired roles (pre-inspector, inspector, taper, and packer) and began assisting. Miss Martin and Miss Best were thrilled all students got stuck in straight away. They did a fantastic job and were praised by the volunteers.

While at the Warehouse, our shoebox donations were counted and we were thrilled to hear we had donated 269 shoeboxes this year – a phenomenal number and an increase on the 110 we received last year. The 269 shoeboxes included donations from local schools, community groups, families and members of the public. We have also been informed that in addition to the shoeboxes, we were able to make a donation to the charity of £310.62.

This was Holcombe Grammar School’s fifth year supporting the appeal and we were proud to be joining hundreds of other schools in giving small gifts of joy this Christmas to children in need around the world.

Children in Need Fundraising Page 16

Holcombe staff and students were busy selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts at break and lunch times on the 15th and 16th November to raise money for Children in Need. Well done to our Fundraising Champions Year 7, who raised the most money thanks to their brilliant idea of holding an auction between the form groups! Students put together collections of money and the form group with the highest total won the Year 7 doughnuts.

7Conquest raised £14.28 7Shannon raised £29.44 7Barfleur raised £53.17 7Guardian raised £55.49 and the winners were 7Hawkins who raised an incredible £71.66!

Money donated to this event was £443.13, with an incredible £224.04 raised by Year 7 alone.

We were proud to be raising money for this important cause.

Day of the Dead Competition

Mrs Ortega-Izquierdo handed out prizes for her Day of the Dead Competition on Thursday 14th November. Students were challenged to create an altar for a famous deceased Hispanic person for El Día de los Muertos, held on 1st and 2nd November. Students got creative, using a variety of materials. They also had to research and learn as the altars needed to include the traditional items of El Día de los Muertos altar and any others they felt appropriate. We were proud to see so many entries to the competition, all of them well-researched, colourful and unique.

All participants were treated to a small celebration and staff members were invited to see the intricate work created. The altars had been placed on display around the classroom. All students received certificates but prizes went to the winners.

Well done to Zachary Watson won first place and Jaden Edusei and Isaac Turner who came second and third place respectively.

Page 17 Holcombe Versus Victory Inter-House Football Competitions Results

Y EAR 7 The Year 7 football match between Holcombe Goals Grammar School and the Victory Academy took Played Won Drawn Lost Points Position scored place at Holcombe on the 15th October. The game Conquest 4 0 0 4 2 4 5th finished with a 5 -1 victory for Holcombe. Goals were scored by Mo Sanusi, Keane Cheeseman and Guardian 4 3 0 1 10 10 2nd Joshua Carter - Joshua scored a hatrick. The league Shannon 4 4 0 0 9 12 1st fixtures now take a break until Term 4 but at the Hawkins 4 2 0 2 9 8 3rd halfway stage of the league the Year 7 team are top Barfleur 4 1 0 3 6 6 4th of the league, having won all of their games. Among the players to have played the most games are Alistair Turner, Harley Diaper, Keane Cheeseman Y EAR 8 and Max Lynch. Well done Year 7.

Goals Played Won Drawn Lost Points Position scored Medway Schools Cross Country Conquest 4 3 1 0 7 11 1st

Guardian 4 2 0 2 6 8 3rd Some of our students were involved in the annual Shannon 4 2 1 1 6 9 2nd Medway Schools Cross Barfleur 4 0 0 2 6 8 3rd Country Competition in Hawkins 4 0 0 4 1 4 5th October. Oliver Webb placed first in the Year 7 race, Oliver Y EAR 9

Curd placed first in the Year Goals Played Won Drawn Lost Points Position 11 race and Isaac Thomas Scored came first in the Year 12/13 Conquest 4 0 0 4 1 4 5th race, while Alex Donnelly Guardian 4 1 0 3 3 6 4th

came fifth. Isaac (pictured) Shannon 4 3 0 1 6 10 2nd has been participating since he was in Year 8 and is Barfleur 4 2 0 2 4 8 3rd delighted to have come first this year. Hawkins 4 4 0 0 7 12 1st Inter-House Football Competitions Year 10

Inter-House Football Competitions were held on the week commencing 18th November. Some great Goals Played Won Drawn Lost Points Position performances and team spirit on display. We were scored proud to see all form groups putting forward full Conquest 6 4 1 1 9 15 1st teams to participate. Please see the results on the Guardian 6 1 3 2 3 11 3rd right. Shannon 6 0 2 4 2 8 4th

Barfleur 6 3 2 1 9 14 2nd Page 18

Medway School Games Badminton Sixth Form Football

Selected Holcombe students participated in the Selected Sixth Formers participated in a match Medway School against Highworth Grammar School on Games Badminton Wednesday 6th November. Holcombe won the competition at match with a 2-1 finish. Holcombe remains Medway Park on unbeaten in the season so far and are currently in Thursday 14th second place! Well done Sixth Form. November. Both the and 4 'B' teams finished in a very respectable 5th place out of 10 overall, whilst both the Key Stage 3 and 4 'A' teams won their respective competitions and have qualified to represent Medway at the Kent school games final in February!

Holcombe Library Grand Opening

Holcombe Grammar School’s new library was officially opened by acclaimed author Tom Palmer on 2nd December 2019. Staff, students and parents were invited to watch as Tom Palmer cut the ribbon and opened a world of imagination and possibilities for our students.

During the Grand Opening, Mr Still interviewed Mr Palmer about his life and works, which included Mr Palmer’s struggle to publish Armistice Runner as it had a female protagonist. Mr Palmer spoke of how proud he was to be part of the push which included more female characters in books about sport. His books D-Day Dog and Armistice Runner were available to purchase at the event, which Mr Palmer signed, answering questions as he did so.

Before the book-signing, Mr Still recounted the process of creating the new Library, which has relied on donations of books, materials and furniture from the public. Within its first week of re-opening, thirty books had been borrowed! He thanked all of those involved in the process, in particular commending the team of Year 12 students who have been keeping the library running since its opening, booking out resources and assisting students to make good reading choices. Mr Still also commended the Year 7s, who have had their library induction and have been avidly reading since. Mr Still explained that students who read for pleasure will eventually read to further their learning; he encouraged all students to take the opportunity to explore and see the wide range of books on offer, which include non-fiction titles and graphic novels. The Library will continue to expand as we head into the new year.

We would like to thank Tom Palmer for taking the time to open Holcombe Library and Mr Still and Mr Claessens for all of their work in creating this inspiring space for our students. We hope the Library will become the hub of student activity at Holcombe. Page 19

Community Event

Holcombe Grammar School’s Head of School, Mrs Villalta, was a guest speaker at a community event held by the Association of the Bulgarian Community in Medway in September. The Association’s Saturday School, teaching Bulgarian language, culture and dancing to students aged four and above and language and dancing courses for adults, reopened for another year. The school has been running for nearly a decade; this year the school welcomed around 150 children registering as students with their families in this annual event held at the Thomas Aveling School, Rochester.

Mrs Villalta was invited to speak at the event by the school’s Headteacher and provided insightful information to the students, speaking to them about the Thinking Schools Academy Trust, informing them of upcoming open events at Holcombe Grammar School, Rochester Grammar School and the Victory Academy. Mrs Villalta also advised the community about the grammar school process, the Medway and Kent Tests and how to register for these tests. The Association of the Bulgarian Community also welcomed guest speaker, Bobby Mahay from the Kent Police, who spoke to students and parents about bullying, hate crime and the role of the police in supporting communities.

The Association are thankful to Mrs Villalta for her time, words and support. Holcombe is proud to be connecting with local communities.

Space Chase Reading Challenge

Year 7 students took part in the Space Chase Reading Challenge run by local county libraries over the summer. This free challenge required participants to read six library books or more over the summer break, collect stickers and add them to their ‘space mission’ folder, then return to their library. Participants who successfully completed the challenge were given certificates. Year 7 students participated in the Space Chase as part of their summer homework. Holcombe is proud students engaged with the challenge, successfully reading six books or more and achieving their well-earned certificates.

Year 7 were inducted to the Holcombe Library in October and have been given postcards to log their reading and help them develop their reading interests. Students are also encouraged to read during form times.

Christmas Carol Concert Page 20

Holcombe Grammar School’s annual Christmas Carol Concert was held Tuesday 10th December at St Stephen’s Church, Chatham. Parents, carers, students and staff were invited to watch festive performances by Holcombe students, led by Mr Zwanzig, Head of Music. They were also able to join in with the festivities by joining the HGS Year 7 Choir in singing classic Christmas carols. The Choir, made up of volunteers from Year 7, brought smiles to faces with their upbeat performance of ‘Go Tell it on the Mountain.’ Energetic performances were given throughout the concert by the Holcombe Jazz Band and Brass Band and the audience were treated to a powerful performance of ‘I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas’ by Jack Douglas, Year 11. Leo Willard, Anthony Osalusi, Sylvester Sunkwa-Mills and Matthew Johnson gave confident readings of bible verses between the music. A big well done and thank you to all performers. We would like to thank Mr Zwanzig for organising the evening, which brought the community together and filled us with festive cheer. We would also like to thank the Holcombe Association for providing refreshments, and Mr Gardner, our Chief Executive Officer, for his words and best wishes at the close of the evening.

12 Tins of Christmas Christmas Card Competition Winners

Christmas Congratulations to our 2019 can be an Christmas Card Competition expensive Winners, Orlando Sarkodie, time for Year 7, (pictured right) and everybody, but for those on a tight budget the Luca added expenses of winter fuel bills as well as Simeone, Christmas can plunge many into crisis, leading to Year 8 difficult choices. Holcombe Grammar were proud (left). to support the Family Food Bank’s 12 Tins of Orlando Christmas appeal. Staff, students, parents and was one carers have been kindly donating tins of food to of the winners of the Thinking the cause via the School Office and form tutors. School Academy’s Trust We would like to thank those who have donated annual competition, where to this important cause. students from schools across the Trust are invited to create a design for a Christmas card. The winning designs are printed as the annual TSAT Christmas Card and sent to members of the community. Luca, meanwhile, won the Holcombe Competition. Orlando’s card (left) contains a heart-warming Christmas scene, which is linked with Holcombe teaching, as the present the child opens is a thinking key. Poetry Live! Page 21

Year 11 and selected Year 12 were given the opportunity to watch Poetry Live! at the Apollo Theatre, London. This annual event invites GCSE students from across the country to watch and listen to the poets they have been studying. Poet Laureate and Oxford Professor of Poetry Simon Armitage and former Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy joined famed poets Gillian Clarke, Daljit Nagra, Imtiaz Dharker, Grace Nichols and John Agard in reading a selection of their poems. The poets then discussed themes and ideas in their works and answered questions from the audience, which included questions about their careers and what inspires them. Hearing these poems being read aloud and discussed by the poets themselves allowed students to enhance their understanding, which will aid them in their GCSE studies. A range of poems were read, not only those in the Anthology; this broadened our students’ understanding of the wider works written by these poets, thus allowing them to develop an appreciation for their collections as a whole.

Students received useful booklets containing the poems being read as well as poems by Seamus Heaney and Alfred Tennyson. Many students took the opportunity to take notes, which was great to see.

Tasneem Quddus, one of the winners of this year’s Simon Powell Poetry Prize, read one of her poems. The Simon Powell Poetry Prize invites students, who have attended a Poetry Live event, to submit a poem of no more than 25 lines. The full details were in the handouts given to the students. We hope hearing this young writer read her own work will have provided inspiration to our students and we hope to see Holcombe students participating in next year’s competition. AQA English chief examiner Tony Childs gave an examiner session, which gave the students an insight into the upcoming exams from an examiner’s perspective. He provided useful information about how to approach the unseen poem that will appear in their exams.

Students particularly enjoyed John Agard’s performance. His unique style, which incorporates singing as well as teachings of culture and history, was received with huge applause. One student commented ‘is this a poem?’ – the day certainly widened our students’ ideas as to what constitutes a poem, with Simon Armitage reading a poem resembling song lyrics and Grace Nichols reading a rap.

We hope students took away valuable information from the trip and we wish them the best of luck with their studies. Page 22 Archie’s Boxing Charlie’s Crime Writing Club

Archie Webb, Year We would like to commend Charlie Read, Year 7, 8, travelled to who diligently runs a crime writing club every Cambridge in Thursday lunchtime in the library. Charlie says: ‘I November to attend set up this lunchtime club in the newly opened a boxing library every Thursday. At Crime Writers we take competition. Archie pleasure in writing all manner of wondrous novels represented his club and stories. I began this phenomenal club because I ‘Kent Gloves’ and was inspired by my English teacher and have a great he won his bout! We passion for reading. We would love to have even will keep you more people join us on Thursdays to open their updated with his minds to the glorious world of literature. Come successes. along and have a go, if your pencil is sharp enough.’ Holcombe is proud of Charlie for showing initiative in setting up this weekly club and for displaying confidence and determination in overseeing it and encouraging others to share in his passion.

Holcombe Association

The Holcombe Association is the Parent and Teacher Association (PTA) of Holcombe Grammar School. The Association has been going for many years and is one of only a few secondary PTAs in the Country. It is a registered charity and although was set up to support the school, the association has its own governing document and must follow the rules of the Charity Commission. It is the aim of the Holcombe Association to raise funds to provide equipment, services and materials for the school not covered by the school’s budget, but would be used to support and enrich the learning of the students at HGS. The Holcombe Association is made up of a number of committee members; Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer who are responsible for the running of the Association. These are all volunteer parents of students. A Board of Trustees is responsible for overseeing the running of the association. There is a group of parents who also volunteer to help run and support the School at events.

Every parent, carer and staff member is automatically a member of the Holcombe Association and as such are welcome to our monthly meetings. Even if you can only offer an hour or two a year to help at events, we would love to hear from you! Please contact [email protected] or [email protected].

Page 23 Clubs Term 3

BEFORE SCHOOL AFTER SCHOOL

GYM BASKETBALL BADMINTON LUNCHTIME: SUPPORT GROUP H14 LUNCHTIME: MET M13 TABLE TENNIS (ALL YEARS) MONDAY LUNCHTIME: GRAPHIC NOVEL CLUB B12 SEA CADETS 18:45-21:15pm Victory Academy LUNCHTIME: FRENCH CLUB WEEK A IN S16

/ WEEK B IN S14 LUNCHTIME: HOL-TONES VOCAL GROUP

GYM BASKETBALL BADMINTON TUESDAY LUNCHTIME: BOOK THIEVES B12 RUGBY (YEAR 7 AND 8) LUNCHTIME: SPANISH AND FRENCH FILM- BASKETBALL (YEAR 9 AND 10)

CLUB S16 HOMEWORK CLUB H20

LUNCHTIME: YEAR 7 BAND IN MUSIC

GYM BASKETBALL BADMINTON

LUNCHTIME: MFL HOMEWORK CLUB S16 LIVE SOUND CLUB IN MUSIC WEDNESDAY LUNCHTIME: CHESS CLUB M10 1ST XI FOOTBALL FIXTURES LUNCHTIME: RIDDLE CLUB IN M10 HANDBALL (YEAR 7 AND 8) HOMEWORK CLUB H20

GYM BASKETBALL BADMINTON

LUNCHTIME: YUGIOH CLUB H11 THURSDAY BADMINTON (YEAR 7-10) LUNCHTIME: CREATIVE WRITING CLUB IN HOMEWORK CLUB H20 THE LIBRARY LUNCHTIME: YEAR 8 BAND IN MUSIC

GYM (ALL YEARS) LUNCHTIME: BRASS BAND IN MUSIC FOOTBALL TRAINING FRIDAY LUNCHTIME: DEBATE CLUB B12 GCSE PE PRACTICAL SUPPORT RHYTHM AND BLUES BAND IN MUSIC

We also have the Medway Victory Sea Cadets Unit. Cadets are expected to regularly attend the unit on Mondays 18:45-21:15pm at The Victory Academy in smart, tidy uniform. If you would like to find out more about the Sea Cadet Corps, search 'Medway Victory Sea Cadet Unit' on Facebook or contact [email protected], or contact Mrs Villalta within Page 24 Teaching in Medway

Teaching is one of the most rewarding and enriching professions as you are transforming the life chances of children and young people and helping them to carve out their pathways and future successes. Making a difference to so many pupils on a day to day basis and over the years is truly special. If you are interested in a career in teaching or know of anyone who would be, we are running a recruitment event at The Victory Academy, Magpie Hall Road, Chatham, ME4 5JB on Tuesday 21st January 2020 from 5-7pm. For more information, please contact our HR team on 0333 360 2050 or [email protected]. At this event, we will be able to share with you any employment opportunities in our schools and talk to you about our new very exciting venture, our very own School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) branch of our Trust which we will be launching in September 2020. Our SCITT provides aspiring teachers with an exciting opportunity to train directly in our schools and there are various government bursaries available to support graduates through the training year. We are currently recruiting for our SCITT and have had much interest already from undergraduates in their final year of their degrees.

TERM DATES FOR 2019/2020

September 2019 to July 2020 Christmas Thursday 19th December 2019: School closed in lieu of Open Day Break Friday 20th December 2019 to Friday 3rd January 2020 Monday 6th January 2020: Staff Development Day

Term 3 Start Tuesday 7th January 2020 Finish Friday 14th February 2020

February Break Monday 17th February 2020 to Friday 21st February 2020

Term 4 Start Monday 24th February 2020 Finish Friday 3rd April 2020

Good Friday Friday 10th April 2020 Easter Monday Monday 13th April 2020

Spring Break Monday 6th April 2020 to Friday 17th April 2020

Term 5 Start Monday 20th April 2020 Finish Friday 22nd May 2020 Early May Bank Holiday Friday 8th May 2020 (instead of Monday 4th) May Break Monday 25th May to Friday 29th May 2020

Term 6 Start Monday 1st June 2020 Finish Friday 17th July 2020 Monday 20th July 2020: Staff Development Day Tuesday 21st July 2020: Staff Development Day

The newsletter can be downloaded from the HGS website. Page 25

KEY DATES FOR 2019/2020

January Monday 6th January Staff Development Day W/C 6th January Year 12 Prelims W/C 27th January and 3rd Year 11 Prelims February

February Thursday 6th February Year 9 Parent Consultation Evening 4:30pm – 6:30pm W/C 10th February Year 13 Prelims Thursday 13th February Year 12 Parent Consultation Evening 4:30pm-6:30pm W/C 24th February Year 13 Prelims

March Thursday 19th March Year 8 Parent Consultation and Options Evening

April Thursday 23rd April Year 10 Parent Consultation Evening 4:30pm – 6:30pm

May Friday 8th May Early May Bank Holiday (instead of Monday 4th)

June W/C 15th June Year 10 Prelims W/C 22nd June Year 12 Prelims Thursday 25th June Year 7 Parent Consultation Evening 4:30pm – 6:30pm Tuesday 30th June Year 12 Induction

July Wednesday 1st July Year 12 Induction Thursday 2nd July Year 6 Taster Day and Evening for Parents Year 12 Work Experience Week Tuesday 14th July Founders’ Day Wednesday 15th July Sports Day Friday 17th July End of Term

Merry Christmas from all of us at Holcombe. We return on Tuesday 7th January. This will be Week B.

The newsletter can be downloaded from the HGS website.