Issue 10 Easter 2018 HASLINGDEN HIGHLIGHTS A message from our Headteacher, Mr Jackson The GCSE and A Level performance tables taken place this term. Please continue to follow were published earlier this term and these events in the press, on our website and confirmed the excellent GCSE results achieved also via our Facebook page and Twitter feed. by our Year 11 last summer. Students sat new GCSEs in English and maths and the On a practical note I have received a number proportion of students who achieved a of emails about the procedure for informing ‘standard’ pass (the new Grade 4 or above) parents about a school closure. The current and a ‘good’ pass (Grade 5 or above) in both system is that, should I feel the school cannot English & maths were both well above national open safely, I try to inform parents via text and averages. email; put the closure on the school website and notify Radio Lancashire. I endeavour to Our current Year 11 are working extremely make the decision as early as possible, liaising hard as they face new, revised GCSE with the site managers who live locally and examinations in most of their subjects. We had usually trying to arrive at school myself before 1838 student attendances at revision or 6.30am. If the school does close I try to make coursework sessions over the last 13 days of the decision before 7am giving parents as this term (an average of 141 per day!), a much notice as possible. I also liaise with the phenomenal effort by staff and students alike. I site team in the evening and, if I feel it am sure that all this hard work will pay off appropriate, make the decision the night when the GCSE examinations start in early May before, though the lack of accuracy of recent and I wish all our students the very best of luck forecasts for the area and the rapidly changing in these exams. weather fronts have made this especially difficult. I am sure you are aware that in most Our sixth form was officially the highest cases, whatever I decide, some parents will performing sixth form in the local area in terms feel the decision is the wrong one. For a variety of A level results (using the government's key of reasons it is not feasible to contact parents measure of student progress). Our progress to say that the school is open; the expectation score puts us above all other local institutions is that the school is open unless you are such as St. Christopher's, Alder Grange, Holy informed otherwise. I thank parents for their Cross, Bury College and BRGS. Our vocational understanding and support on these very results were equally impressive and also make difficult days. us the highest performing school sixth form locally in this category. Best wishes, Haslingden High School continues to offer a Mark Jackson huge range of extra-curricular opportunities and this magazine gives you a flavour of the types of activities, trips and events that have Haslingden High School & Sixth Form !1 Issue 10 Easter 2018 WORLD BOOK DAY BAKE CHALLENGE SNOW may have forced our and sister Bradley and Amy co-ordinator Mrs Morgan World Book Day ‘Bake Off’ Roose was the most inventive and the prizes went to: challenge to end up being idea as well as the cake that Fantastic Mr Fox cakes by put to an online vote, but this made people smile, winning Matthew Bolton, Harry Potter didn’t deter student entries. them a £10 book voucher by Matthew Marriott and A each. Christmas Carol by Kayleigh Scores of culinary creations Nield. were posted on our school The most skilful creation was Facebook page and the a Harry Potter cake made by The following cakes were school invited the public to Matthew Marriott, Year 9. ‘Highly Commended’ by our pick the best in a series of judges: categories: most inventive The people’s choice award The Mad Hatter’s Hat by idea, most skilful creation, went to The Wimpy Kid Emila Harrison and Charlotte the cake that made me smile which was created by friends Hanson, The Golden Ticket and the people’s choice Ben Yousaf and Katie Butler, by Briony Bailey and Harry award - the cake you’d most both year 7. Potter by Macey Carr. like to take home. The competition was also Well done to everyone who The public decided that The judged in school by literacy took part! A fantastic effort Stick Man created by brother from all students! Haslingden High School & Sixth Form !2 Issue 10 Easter 2018 TRIPS & ACTIVITIES Technology Competition Winners! Well done to our teams who entered the Rotary BAE Systems Technology Tournament and walked away winners in both the foundation and the advanced competitions! University hopefuls get tour of Cambridge A group of Year 11 students on a university mentoring scheme, organised by the Villiers Park Educational Trust, got the chance to go to Cambridge. As well as enjoying a tour of the University and Downham College, they were challenged to decrypt encryptions and enjoyed a ‘clip and go’ climbing experience. Students Celebrate International Women’s TWO trophies were scooped by our Youth Day Enterprise team – best community involvement and To celebrate powerful, best presentation. Our team of Year 9 students independent women raised £1,370.82 for Rossendale Hospice in the at school a group of third year of this annual challenge. our students made b o o k m a r k s At the celebration evening at Alder Grange School recognising influential judges selected Haslingden’s presentation as the women in history. best along with awarding our team the best Every female member community involvement trophy. of staff in school was presented with their very own bookmark! Thank you girls! Haslingden High School & Sixth Form !3 Issue 10 Easter 2018 New York, New York! with the group. Ex-student Matthew Lester, who teaches English in China, was in the city visiting A group of our students recently travelled to relatives. He also met the group and caught up New York City on a Business and Media Studies with his half-sister Lydia Matthews, who was on trip; two students were so inspired by what they the trip. saw they are now hoping to study in America! The party also visited the 9/11 Memorial and The party of 25 from Years 10 to 13 spent half museum, which had the most impact on Charlie term in The Big Apple where two of the Farrow, 15. students, Kim Bridgman and Chris Rand, celebrated their 16th birthdays stateside. He said: “It was quite emotional because we were standing on the very site where the As well as meeting Mark Levy, a Civil Rights buildings had been. I will never forget going Campaign veteran, they got to experience what there.” will be the next advancement in digital technology – HoloLens, a 3D holographic computer allowing the user to interact with They also visited the Empire State Building at holograms. night and the views from the 85th floor made them realise why New York is known as the ‘city that never sleeps’. Former student Georgina Lloyd, who is studying at Quinnipaic University in Connecticut, met up Haslingden High School & Sixth Form !4 Issue 10 Easter 2018 SPORT OUR TEAMS of talented trampolinists will A group of our students had a fantastic day represent the North of England in the national playing Real Tennis in the Prince Edward schools’ final in Belfast. The intermediate Challenge at Manchester Tennis and U14s and novice U13s teams both won their Raquets Club. respective competitions in Huddersfield and will compete in the final on March 24th. Our team were the top scorers going into the final round and it was a tense few The U14s team of 14-year-olds Ben Wilson minutes watching Manchester Grammar and Max Constant and 13-year-olds James School play their last round. They needed Peacock and Jack Waters are seasoned competitors. more than 40 points to win and managed to score 40.5. They have been runners-up in the national Prince Edward arrived midway through the final for the last two years and are hoping this competition to watch and then presented all year to go one better after comfortably winning the competition in Huddersfield. the competitors with commemorative medals. The team will be flying to Belfast and then This was a truly once in a lifetime experience have an overnight stay. To help with the costs students spent a Sunday bag packing in Tesco for our students and they did themselves, Haslingden! their parents and Haslingden High proud! Year 8s reach County Athletics Final Our Year 8 athletes narrowly beat All Saints to take the title in the Rossendale School Sports Partnership athletics competition. The team of seven boys and eight girls will now represent Rossendale in the Lancashire athletics final. Haslingden High School & Sixth Form !5 Issue 10 Easter 2018 SPORT Badminton team compete in county final Our brilliant badminton players sailed into the Lancashire final after losing only two games to win the Rossendale heat. Our team, made up of William Harding, Edward Taylor, Ben Wilson and Tom Corbett played three doubles games and two singles against other schools from the valley and only lost one singles match and one doubles against a Lancashire County player from BRGS. Our fantastic U14 cricketers were beaten (by only 5 runs!) in the final by a very strong Penwortham High team. Well done, girls: Lancashire runners-up! Year 9 students Beth Macdonald, Lucy Valentine and Abby Clarke helped the Lancashire Girls U14s side to two well deserved victories.