Mark Rutherford School Newsletter April 2013 Blue Peris Trip Headlines We Took 34 Students to Blue Peris, North Wales in March
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Mark Rutherford School Newsletter April 2013 Blue Peris Trip Headlines We took 34 students to Blue Peris, North Wales in March. All As we approach Easter and the exam season, the school is students and staff had a brilliant week, they were a credit to the well placed to meet the challenges presented by the school and to their parents. Well done to everyone who tried constant stream of change and initiatives that appear in the something new, overcame a fear or simply made a new friend. I latest speeches from Mr Gove (Minister for Education), or am looking forward to next year already! Miss Jackson-Horner Mr Wilshaw (Ofsted Chief Inspector). Blue Peris 2013 through the eyes of Emily Wright and Easter and Spring are a time of rebirth which is very Romy Mae Longmuir: appropriate as the school ends its first term as an I enjoyed Blue Peris a lot. The best activity was either gorge Academy. So far this has proved to be the positive move walking, where we climbed up waterfalls, or the canoeing. The that we thought it would be in spite of the hard work instructors were very helpful and encouraging and got us involved, particularly for the Finance Team, in setting through a lot of mental obstacles. On the first day we went on a everything up. long walk which then resulted in us getting settled down for the After Easter, we will be opening a new extension to the night. Over the next few days we went gorge walking, rock Autism Centre. Funding for this venture came from bids climbing, abseiling, canoeing and many other things. The most placed with the Education Funding Agencie and Bedford enjoyable thing was the gorge walking because it was Borough, with some additional funding from the Harpur interesting and I discovered many things along the way. I also Trust. The project was managed by the school in really enjoyed getting to the top of the mountain on the final partnership with the builder, Richardson and Peat; it has day. been completed ahead of schedule and within budget. This facility will increase the school’s capacity to accommode children with a statement for autism and to cater for older students who stay on into the Sixth Form. An official opening is planned for Friday May 3rd 2013. In spite of the changes to grade boundaries and the value of some level 2 GCSE equivalent subjects, the school seems to be well placed to emulate the successes of recent years this summer. Students are focussed and want to do well and staff are pulling out all the stops to support them by running extra sessions at lunchtime and after school. It is essential that students remain focussed and work hard over the next 3 months so that they can be satisfied with their results in the summer and celebrate their success. In some ways the school is a victim of its own success. Whilst our intake is now oversubscribed and there are over 1250 students on roll, this puts pressure on resources. In particular, with a dining facility that seats 190 students, lunchtimes are problematic. This is amplified during wet Loughborough University lunchtimes as there are few indoor areas or covered areas The PE department took Year 12 and 13 PE students to outside. Although we now run two lunchtimes to ease Loughborough to tour the world class sports facilities at the congestion the end of the lunch period is often when University. The students took part in a variety of fitness tests problems occur. both in the field and in their sports The school therefore proposes to reduce the lunch break by science laboratory. They had the ten minutes. A 40 minute lunch will be enough time for the opportunity to experience the students to have their lunch, but will reduce the time when Wingate test, performed on a cycle the lack of facilities can lead to boredom and potential ergometer, which measures peak disruption. A full outline of the proposed new times will be anaerobic power and anaerobic sent to every parent in a separate letter. If you wish to capacity. Two of the students were comment on the proposals please email chosen to take part in the VO2 max [email protected]. The intention would be for the new test. This is a test to measure the timings to start in September 2013. maximum capacity of an individual's As usual the students have been busy in many activities body to transport and use oxygen outside their normal academic curriculum. There has been during incremental exercise, which much to celebrate in sport and the arts and many other reflects the physical fitness of the aspects of school life. May I take this opportunity to individual. This was performed on congratulate all those who have represented the school in a the treadmill used by the legendary variety of events and give thanks to the staff that have Mo Farah! All in all a very tiring, yet coached and supported them. educational day out. The chapter that captured the judges! We took part in The Be Your Best Foundation, ‘Rock Challenge’ competition. The students worked for five months to create a dance theatre piece based on the idea of modern day princesses. The piece was called, 'The Deleted Chapter’. It explored how every girl dreams of being a princess but in Paralympics today’s society the fairytale doesn’t We took part in volunteering always read as it does in the story with the Paralympic teams, books. We took Rapunzel and presented who stayed in Bedford. The her as being trapped in a tower block of Summer was packed with flats by a violent partner. Sleeping opportunities to support them in training, co-ordinate events and translate (or attempt to!) There were new challenges every day- ranging from frantically searching for half of a team scattered around the town, to organising ‘breakfast rations’, to rather one-sided javelin c o m p e t i t i o n s w i t h enthusiastic athletes. beauty was trapped in a drug induced Following this, the team were nominated for two of the Pride in Bedfordshire slumber and Cinderella we presented as Awards for 2012. The awards evening was held at the Bedford Corn Exchange. a registered carer for her ill mother and There were ten awards presented that evening, our team were honoured to two young sisters. Our aim was to receive the award for ‘Raising the Profile of the town’. transform magical fairytales into real life situations where young girls don’t always live their dreams. We were given Bedfordshire Schools STEM Conference, Colworth Science Park excellent feedback from the judges on both our technical and performance Year 11 and 13 students attended a prestigious STEM Conference (Science, ability. We received 3 awards for; best Technology, Engineering and Maths). Dr Simon Morley of the British Antarctic entertainment, best soundtrack and the Survey team gave a talk on the problems facing ocean dwelling life due to climate performers’ choice award, which is change. Professor Carston Maple of Bedfordshire University gave insight into where the schools involved in the future life with his discussion on robotic healthcare for the elderly and Steven competition choose the piece they feel is Harris from Anglia Ruskin University made GCSE maths really cool with his talk on the best in the show. This piece will be computing in both the games and defence industries. performed again in our annual Dance In what could only be compared to something straight from an episode of CSI, Jan Display on Tuesday 25th and Collie, Principal & Senior Forensic Investigator, asked us, ‘What information is Wednesday 26th June 2013. hiding in our computers?’. A rather thought provoking discussion on exactly what information about our lives is hidden away on our mobile phones, laptops and Gifted and Talented Workshop iPODS! Finally, students were entertained and informed by a, ‘Spine tingling tour Year 11 and Sixth form attended an of the nervous system’ by Dr Helen Critchlow, of, ‘The Naked Scientists’ fame! after school workshop to find out more Throughout the event, students had opportunities to speak to scientists and about studying medicine and related researchers about their work and find out more about what the future might hold biological sciences at University. The for them. session was run by Dr Carlo Acerini a fellow of Girton College, Cambridge Foundation learning who is a leading expert in the field of We held a celebration afternoon for the foundation learners to show what they childhood diabetes. Dr Acerini outlined had been doing since joining the programme. It all started with them designing the entry requirements for medical their own invitations which were then sent to their parents. The students showed schools in the UK and he also parents their books, folders, and photos of their vocational studies lessons. They explained some of the opportunities took their parents to the open to those who have qualified as different areas of the either doctors or veterinary surgeons. school; construction, The workshop was run as part of the catering and of course school’s Gifted and Talented provision the highlight of the and it concluded with a question and afternoon, the garden answer session. area and the chickens. It was great to see such a l a r g e n u m b e r o f supportive parents in an informal setting. Engineers Fair Fifty two Year 10 students were taken to, “The Big Bang” the UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair in London.