Christmas Newsletter 2017 Business4schools
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“Your Gateway to Success” The Romsey School, Greatbridge, Romsey, Hants, SO51 8ZB Tel: 01794 512 334 Fax: 01794 511 497 Email: [email protected] www.romsey.hants.sch.uk Twitter : @TheRomseySchool Talented Toula bags Talented gymnast European medals Stamatoula ‘Toula’ Raftopoulou won silver and bronze medals at the Junior European Acrobatic Championships in Poland. The 14-year-old Romsey School student was partnered in Rzeszow with Stephanie Ricketts, 17, for their first ever competitive performance as part of the British team. Continued on page 6 Toula with her partner Stephanie Ricketts. Supported by Christmas Newsletter 2017 Business4Schools Inside This Edition: Witnessing Life in The Slums in Kenya Canoe believe it! Code Breaking National Cipher Challenge Challenging Day at Avon Tyrrell Annual Presentation Evening Bookbuzz Scheme buzzing about books Executive Headteacher: Mr Jonathan de Sausmarez | Headteacher: Mr Colm McKavanagh Deputy Headteachers: Mr Andy Marks & Mrs Annie Eagle Chair of Governors: Mrs Judith Houghton The Romsey School - Improving on our Previous Best Welcome to the first newsletter of this academic year Our pupils and staff have started the year in We would also like to remind you of some key an exceptionally positive way after all of the dates for the Spring term. successes last year. They continue to make an excellent contribution to the life of the school There are two teacher training days, when and the wider community. the school is closed to pupils, on Friday, March 16th and Monday, March 19th. The The certificate presentation evening on school is closed for half-term from February November 23rd was attended by Mr Scott 12th to16th and the term ends for pupils on Dawson, who gave an inspirational speech Thursday March 29th, at 3.15pm. about how his life had been transformed by taking the initiative and challenging himself to The school production ‘Made in Dagenham’ improve on his previous best. is scheduled each night between February 7th and 9th at 7.30pm. We are very much He also commented on the impressive looking forward to one of the highlights of the array of talent amongst the class of 2017, a school calendar. group of pupils who achieved superb GCSE outcomes. The Year 11 trial exams run from the January 15th to January 24th inclusive; further details There is a vast array of activities which have of these are in a separate letter. taken place this term and details of these are on the following pages. We hope that you all have a very happy and restful Christmas. As ever, the most important work of course happens in the classrooms, and it has been a privilege to see high quality teachers Colm and Jonathan continuing to improve on their previous best, following our very successful OFSTED in the summer term. Our new Year 7 pupils have settled into life at The Romsey School exceptionally well and, for some of them, meeting Princess Anne at the Avon Tyrrell Activity Centre has been the highlight of the term. F_CINN_0539 Abbotswood Court advert – Mountbatten and Romsey School.qxp_Layout 1 28/07/2017 15:54 Page 1 Open house events Join us at Abbotswood Court for our free community events! Community Coffee Mornings Every Thursday, 10.30am–12.00pm Forget Me Not Café Last Friday of each month, 2.00–4.00pm Oomph Activity Every Wednesday, 10.45am–11.45am If you know someone in the community who would benefit from joining our events, please pass on the information, we will have a warm welcome for them. For further details, contact Debbie: Tel: 01794 528 700 | [email protected] Abbotswood Court Care Home, Minchin Road, Romsey, SO51 0BL Residential Care | Dementia Care | Respite Breaks Extraordinary presentation evening goes swimmingly Ordinary people doing inspirational Scott has since There was a nostalgic and extraordinary things – that run and cycled around the amusing look back to results was the theme of this year’s Isle of Wight non-stop raising day in the summer with a annual presentation evening. more than £25,000 for collection of photographs charity. and video clips set to music. Past pupils and parents from the class of 2017 returned Scott was joined for the Current Head Boy and Girl, to The Romsey School in evening by the Deputy Samuel Baxter and Abbie November to celebrate their Mayor of Test Valley, Cllr Ian Miller provided an overview achievements. Carr and Deputy Mayoress, of the changes that have Mrs Beryl Carr, along with occurred since the summer, And they were welcomed by Romsey’s Deputy Mayor, Cllr explaining that the year guest speaker Scott Dawson, Dorothy Baverstock. They group had left a big mark on who explained how he turned were joined by several local the school. his life around a few years dignitaries, some of whom ago at a time when he tipped had donated prizes. Head of Year, Caroline the scales at 19 stones. Easton, introduced pupils Executive Headteacher, who were presented with Scott decided he needed Jonathan de Sausmarez, their examination certificates to do something about it congratulated the Class of by guest speaker Scott so took up running and 2017 for their success. Dawson. There were also swimming. He quickly lost more than 30 special subject weight, took up open water Headteacher, Colm and community awards. swimming, which led to him McKavanagh, spoke about swimming across the Solent how he was immensely After a vote of thanks, and later swam the 65 miles proud of the year group Chair of Governors Judith around the Isle of Wight in and the way in which they Houghton offered her a time of 25 hours and 56 had supported each other. thanks to everyone who had minutes. He pointed out that they contributed to the success of were greatly missed by staff the year group. Not content with becoming and pupils, while thanking just the fifth person to swim staff and parents for their solo around the island, unfailing support. Talented Toula bags European medals ...Continued from front cover In acrobatic gymnastics, there are three finals for each discipline - balance, dynamic and all-round, and the girls reached the finals of the dynamic and all-round events. In the all-round final, Toula and Stephanie finished third thanks to an entertaining and lively dance, demonstrating high technical excellence. In the dynamic final, their precise execution was rewarded with their highest execution score of the competition. Matching this with confidence and beauty in their dance, they earned a score of 28.06 for silver, just behind the pair from the Ukraine. Toula’s Form Tutor and Head of PE, at The Romsey School, Callum Provan said: “We watched Toula perform via a live stream from Poland and were completely blown away by her performances. Suffice to say, we are incredibly proud of what she has achieved.” Toula who is currently studying for her GCSEs, has been an acrobatic gymnastic for seven years and trains for 20 hours a week as well as supporting a disability class at the Southampton Gymnastics Club. Toula with her partner Stephanie Ricketts. A full range of Beauty Treatments including: waxing, nails, facials and ear piercing THE Gift vouchers available Call us on: STUDIO 01794 526617 CHARTERED ARCHITECTS Special Offer! Bespoke designs for individual homes £5 off all ‘Little Women’ treatments with this advert (under 16’s only) BEAUTY STUDIO AT BRADBEERS MEAD MILL, 77 MILL LANE, ROMSEY 14-20 BELL STREET, ROMSEY, HAMPSHIRE. SO51 8EQ HANTS, SO51 8ZE TEL. 01794 519333 www.thegenesisdesignstudio.com Five years of hard work rewarded Pupils and staff at The Romsey School celebrated superb GCSE examination results over the summer. Seventy-three per cent of pupils achieved Grade 4+ in English and Maths, which was a 3% increase on last year - 80% received grade 4+ passes in Maths and 81% in English. Overall, 70% of pupils achieved 5 A* to C passes, including English and Maths, at grade 4+. Meanwhile, a third of all pupils secured at least three or more A* to A grades, which was on a par with last year, and almost a quarter of pupils achieved the English Baccalaureate. There were notable individual successes with 10 top-performing pupils achieving at least 10 A* to A grades. Headteacher Colm McKavanagh, and Executive Headteacher Jonathan de Sausmarez, said: “These results reflect the exceptionally hard work which students, staff and parents have put in over the past five years. Congratulations are due to everyone who worked so well together.” The School goes from Strength to Strength The governors have been This term, governors are very pleased to working with the senior leaders have heard some very thought-provoking in the school on updates to presentations from pupils as part of an the strategic plan for the school ongoing review of teaching and learning following our very positive Ofsted within the school. inspection visit back in June. We will also be taking time before the The school goes from strength to strength, with December governing body meeting to spend another impressive set of GCSE results in the time with our linked departments. Whilst the summer and certificates being presented in role of governors is strategic, it is important late November. There has also been some very that we have a good understanding of the exciting staff professional development giving operational aspects of the school, and these teachers more freedom to teach their specialist visits most definitely help with that. subjects in new ways and deepen the cross- curricular links. We are very fortunate that at the moment we have a full and active governing body. If We are very pleased to welcome to the school you have anything that you would like to raise our new head of music, Mr Lawrenson, and we with the governors please get in touch via the look forward to exciting opportunities for our school office.