The Annual Review for Old Blues of the Blue Coat School 2016
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OLD BLUESThe annual review for Old Blues of The Blue Coat School 2016 • CATCH UP WITH THE • STRAIGHT FROM THE ARCHIVE CLASS OF 2015 • FROM BUTTONS TO • CLASS NOTES HOLLYWOOD HOBBIT • THE FAMOUS FIVE • WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Inside Issue 2 A MESSAGE FROM CONTENTS The Headteacher 12 SCHOOL NEWS STEPPING INTO THE TWENTY 04 FIRST CENTURY: MATT CATCH UP WITH THE WADDELOW, CLASS OF 2007 08 CLASS OF 2015 07 10 CLASS NOTES SPORTS REPORT LAUNCHING OUR LIBRARY APPEAL Blue Coat sporting 13 success at local, regional and national competitions. INTRODUCING THE 15 CLASS OF 2016 It is my pleasure to write this welcome message at the end of my first year as Headteacher of The Blue Coat FROM MIAMI TO NEW YORK: School. I was delighted to re-join the school in September 15 SAM BATTERTON, CLASS OF 2015 and have really enjoyed a very busy school year. 2011 Looking after a school is not easy in the current THE FAMOUS FIVE educational and economic climates, but I can unreservedly 16 say that it is made much easier by the support that exists in our Blue Coat Community. From staff to parents, governors FROM BUTTONS TO A to foundation trustees and of course our growing network of 14 HOLLYWOOD HOBBIT: Old Blues we can be sure this great school benefits from the 18 CHRIS WINCHESTER, attention of so many talented supporters. As our database THE 2016 EUROPEAN CLASS OF 1990 of Old Blues has grown this year, we have introduced even CHAMPIONSHIPS: more opportunities for you to give back to the school long after you have left. Our students and staff are extremely SIMON HART, STRAIGHT FROM grateful for the time some of you have been able to give to CLASS OF 1991 20 THE ARCHIVE careers talks, guest speaking and our library appeal. I am not an Old Blue myself, but when I left the school as WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Deputy Headteacher in 2013, I could not have imagined SHAUN RIGBY, just how much I wanted to return to support, protect and 22 CLASS OF 2011 develop the future of this great school. While I know just how strongly this is felt among Old Blues of all generations, 26 I also know we are extremely fortunate to have access to GOING GLOBAL: FRANCESCA your generous, varied and skilful contributions. INTRODUCING OUR BIRD, CLASS OF 2012 OLDEST KNOWN 27 To all of our supporters this year, and to the many who will OLD BLUE, make future contributions by encouraging friends to get in WHERE ARE THEY NOW? touch, volunteering your time or supporting our fundraising KENDRICK RANNARD CALLUM SPIERS, activities, thank you very much for the care you continue to 28 CLASS OF 2011 show to The Blue Coat School. INSPIRING FUTURES Mr Mike Pennington 29 Headteacher, The Blue Coat School 31 LIVERPOOL BLUE COAT LAUNCHING THE OLD BLUES ASSOCIATION 1708 SOCIETY 30 2 | THE ANNUAL REVIEW FOR OLD BLUES OF THE BLUE COAT SCHOOL 2016 www.bluecoatschoolliverpool.org.uk | 3 SCHOOL NEWS State Secondary School of the Year Maths Fun Roadshow It is a great achievement that The Blue Coat School’s For the last few years the Maths Department has 2015 GCSE results earned the School a coveted offered Maths Fun Roadshows to local primary top five place in the Department for Education’s “I am absolutely delighted that the “ schools with great success. performance tables. Ranked fourth nationally by significant efforts of our staff to help all the Government, the School was also recognised in a of our students achieve the very best that This year there were nine Roadshows involving number of national newspapers. The Telegraph listed they can has been recognised in the recent students from six local primary schools including The Blue Coat School top in its league table of the ‘Top Department for Education performance Dovedale and Northway. It is a very successful and One Hundred Schools in England’, with The Sunday popular event that students and staff thoroughly “tables.” Science teachers Mrs Clare MacKenzie, Times awarding the School its prestigious ‘Top State enjoy getting involved with. Each Maths Fun Mr Mike Pennington, Headteacher Ms Michelle Maskell and Mrs Julie Beggs deliver an Secondary School of the Year 2015’. Roadshow is a 90 minute event for up to 30 Year 4 students and is led by five Year 10 Blue Coat students, outstanding performance as The Chemical Sisters studying for their Maths Leaders Award. At the heart of the event is a carousel of fifteen A bright future as plans interactive maths puzzles that students complete in for 2017 redevelopment pairs. Year 7 students are stationed at each puzzle to explain to the students what they need to do. receive a boost Feedback following the event has been extremely positive and the programme has undoubtedly achieved its aim of making maths fun and approachable. From January 1st 2017 The Blue Coat School will take responsibility for the Foundation Buildings, an area which is currently under the stewardship of the Foundation Trustees. With this change the School will have full responsibility for all parts of the School Louis Walsh aka Mr Keith Caulkin greets his fans estate. The acquisition of this additional space, which is currently administered by The Liverpool Blue Coat School Foundation, marks an important and exciting first step in our accommodation strategy Shirley Hall will be refurbished during 2017 Xmas Factor which includes ambitious plans to redevelop and remodel this section of the School in addition to other areas currently in need of redevelopment. The 2015 Xmas Factor saw Blue Coat staff take Lower School Music Concert to the Shirley Hall stage once again as they Increasing the amount of space we have available embraced their inner disco diva, much to the is key to ensuring we provide our growing number Maths Fun Roadshow delight of their adoring fans in the audience. of students with the very best accommodation and resources. The Blue Coat School Foundation, our Our youngest musicians delighted family and friends Stand out performances included The Chemical longstanding and extremely supportive charitable with their fantastic array of musical talent during our Sisters, whose rendition of Little Mix’s Black Magic arm of the School, have affirmed their support for the first Lower School music concert in June 2016. involved several chemical experiments conducted programme by additionally donating a significant sum during the performance, taking multitasking to a of money to the School to undertake the necessary Confident and lively performances from our whole new level. remedial, redevelopment and refurbishment work to string, flute, brass and percussion ensembles were key parts of the School including the Shirley Hall. interspersed with excellent solo performances, with Old Blue and History teacher Mike Pearson’s group no hints of any nerves creeping in. Year 8 student The Testostertones took the audience back to the Hannah Chiu amazed the audience with her beautiful 1990s (a time when a significant proportion of the performance of Rameau’s L’Egyptienne, a Grade 8 audience hadn’t even been born) with Take That’s hit piece which she recently performed at the regional The School community values the Never Forget. Casting his best Simon Cowell eye over final of the European Piano Teacher’s Association each act, Mr Simon Shipgood, who with help from Mr foresight, generosity and care regional final. Packed full of new musical talent the Keith Caulkin (Louis Walsh) and Mrs Elaine Wilkinson demonstrated by our Trustees’ recent Blue Coat School music department has a very (Sharon Osbourne), presided over a very successful decisions. promising and exciting future. Lower School Music Concert event. 4 | THE ANNUAL REVIEW FOR OLD BLUES OF THE BLUE COAT SCHOOL 2016 www.bluecoatschoolliverpool.org.uk | 5 SCHOOL NEWS Work Bard, Play Bard Development Fund Sports Report supporters make a real To mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s difference 2015/16 has proved to be yet another successful death, students from eight Merseyside Schools year for our PE Department, with plenty of Blue were chosen to take part in ‘Work Bard, Play Bard’, Coat sporting talent on display at local, regional and a collaborative project designed by the Liverpool national competitions. Highlights from the year Everyman Theatre and Globe Theatre. Thanks to the generosity of parents, Old Blues include: Year 7 Cricket Team and friends of the School we have been able to fund Several talented Blue Coat actors were selected to almost £30,000 of projects that we would not have • Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 cricket teams made it through take part in this unique project which saw them take been able to deliver without our supporters’ donations to the final of the Liverpool County Cricket Cup to the Everyman stage twice to perform their own to the School’s Development Fund. • Year 9 cricket team progressed through to the twenty minute sketch, based on Shakespeare’s Lancashire Cricket Plate final Merchant of Venice in front of a live audience in July Projects that we have been able to fund include: • Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 netball teams crowned overall 2016. Liverpool League winners • New kitchen and dining equipment which has • Year 7 girls netball team crowned winners at the Working alongside the Everyman’s Education Manager resulted in an improved break and lunchtime PGL netball tour and Year 8 came in third against Under 15 Basketball Team Alan Williams over the course of several months, our experience, improved menus with a focus on Year 9 teams students worked hard to master the art of script nutrition, and a more efficient service for our • Years 8 and 9 girls netball teams win prestigious writing and remembering those all-important lines.