In This Edition

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Autumn 2019

IN THIS EDITION:

• Year Group Highlights

• House Points Update

• Department News

• Trips & Events

• Student Achievements

• Library News Welcome

Remembrance Day 2019

Dear Parents/Carers,

As we approach the end of another term, I would like to thank Mr Blackburn and all of the staff at Uff- culme for their continued hard work in ensuring that it remains not just one of the most successful schools in England, but also one of the happiest. It is always a pleasure and a privilege to visit Uffculme. I have no doubt that the positive culture of the school, the dedication of the staff and the support of parents are the keys to its success. I am fast coming to the conclusion that the support for and belief in education of parents is absolutely critical to the quality of education a school provides. Therefore securing the trust of parents and your confidence in us is one of the most important tasks of a school leader and I have always felt that Uffculme parents are a key strength of the school. The recent craft fair illustrates this perfectly. I was once again blown away by the enthusiasm of parents who worked tirelessly alongside staff and students to achieve a fantastic event. It is however just one example of many. Another highlight of the Autumn Term and indeed the whole school year is the annual Year 11 ski trip. This year I am fortunate to be accompanying them and I am really looking forward to sharing this adventure with our senior students. I am also looking forward to bringing them all home again in one piece. It is always slightly nerve wracking watching over a 100 teen- agers throw themselves down a mountain. Thank you again to all of you for your continued support of Uffculme. I would like to wish you a very happy Christmas and a prosperous and peaceful New Year.

- Lorraine Heath (Executive Headteacher)

1 www.uffculmeschool.net Welcome Dear Parents/Carers

As I write this letter I am slightly shocked to already be thinking about arrangements for Christmas and the end of term – where has the time gone? So much has already happened this year, beginning with us celebrating the results of last year’s Year 11 students; welcoming our Year 7 students, who are lovely and have settled so quickly into the life of the school; and seeing the students in the other year groups step- ping up and taking on more responsibility as they move forward. However, whilst the students move through the school and beyond, we always work hard to ensure that the values and ethos of the school remain constant – because these are what makes Uffculme School the special place it is. Like any school we have various rules and regulations to help maintain order and ensure consistency but there are 3 over-riding principles that we ask students to take on board: · To work hard · To join in and participate fully in the life of the school · To be kind to one another. We talk to Year 7 about these on their first day in the school and we continually remind students about them throughout their time with us – only the other day I heard them being mentioned in a Year 11 assembly. The reason we continually point students towards these principles is because we know that they underpin those values that matter so much to us as a school, and which enable each student to become the person we want them to be. This term we have been particularly focusing on the latter principle – the importance of being kind to one another. Whilst many people recognise the importance of working hard and trying their best in every situation; and of joining in and making the most of the opportunities that are offered to them; for some the idea of being kind to one another seems like an ‘add-on’ – something that is nice to do if there is time, but is not essential. And yet nothing could be farther from the truth. This principle of being kind to one another, which we advocate so strongly with our students, is not only essential for their own wellbeing but also for those around them, and indeed the whole school community. During November we took part in the national Anti-Bullying week. As part of this the Senior Student Council took the lead in our assemblies, talking about the importance of standing against all forms of bullying, and in particular cyber-bullying. We also suspended our normal Personal Development tutorial programme to give every student the opportunity to reflect on the nature of bullying and how they could take a stand against it. In all these activities a common thread was evident – that if people consistently treat each other with kindness and respect, there is no room for bullying to take place. In fact when people commit to only speaking or acting positively towards one another, and actively promote this amongst their peers, the whole environment changes to one of positivity, in which people feel confident to be themselves and be open with one another. Being kind to one another, far from being a nice ‘extra’, is in fact crucial to who we are as a school and what we want for our students – a place where they can be happy and thrive as young people and as learners. If you were able to attend this year’s Tutor / Parents Meetings you will know that our annual survey was focused on the safety and happiness of our students. This is because we want to know the experiences of our children and their families so that we can review our practice and identify any areas where we can do more to support and challenge our young people to think about their words and actions, and to be kind to one another. Thank you to all of you who took the time to complete this survey. We will share the findings with you in due course. Thank you as always for all your commitment to and support of the school and our young people. Thank you and best wishes,

- Alan Blackburn (Headteacher)

www.uffculmeschool.net 2 Senior Student Council News

A new school year means a new Senior Student Council; well done to everyone who applied to represent their school and their peers, with special congratulations to those students who were chosen. Your new Senior Student Councillors are: Mitch Fisher (Head Boy), Poppy Baker (Head Girl), Alfie Parkins, Maisie Pepperell, Mia Townsend, Eloisa McGoldrick, Alex Jarvis, Nick Jarvis, Bailey Oram, Lottie Evans, Ella Tonge and Amy Tonge. Message from the new Head Boy & Head Girl “As Head Girl and Head Boy we plan to act on raising awareness of mental health and fundraise as much money possible to support various charities, whilst also creating an anonymous ‘Help’ support system where we will be available to provide reassurance. Our aims include widening the mental health platform, encouraging participation and charitable fundraising through potential cake sales, fun runs and non-uniform days which will be organised by the whole of the school council. So far as Head Girl and Head Boy, we have elected student councillors from Years 7-10 (this involved shortlisting applicants to put forward) to give them an opportunity to lead their year group. We have also spoken to large audiences in The Venue at our annual Open Evening for prospective students showcasing what we have to offer at Uffculme School. Last week we were busy selling poppies in remembrance of Armistice Day, to raise money for the Royal British Legion. We also plan to coincide fundraising with national and international days of importance to raise money for the school's facilities and boost the general wellbeing to further support the students at Uffculme school. Most recently, we and the Senior Council have delivered assemblies to launch ‘Anti-Bullying Week’ in line with the national awareness week – reminding everyone how important it is to support each other, stand up for each other and not to look away from those who are being teased, bullied and victimised.” - Mitch Fisher (Head Boy) & Poppy Baker (Head Girl)

3 www.uffculmeschool.net Year 7 Highlights Our new Year 7 have started their time at Uffculme with great enthusiasm, beginning with having one of the highest number of students in a year group participating in the Outdoor Pursuits activities run by Mr Eve. Alongside this they have become fully involved in various Extra Curricular opportunities, both on the sports field and in the classroom, including the newly formed Dungeons and Dragons Club. The number of students who applied to be considered for the Year 7 Student Council neared 50% of the year group and the Senior Council had some difficult decisions to make when selecting the final council members. Well done to everyone who applied, and special congratulations to: Martha Hallmark, Isabella Woodley, James Pullen, Alastair Full, Chelsy Ingram, Ollie Verdon-Smith, Jacques Sellman, Emily Norman, Amelia Preece, Holly Britton and Ruby Macklin. The next challenge for Year 7 is to continue with their committment - including in the new 8B48 Reading Challenge - and to out-perform themselves on their next academic reports. They have a fair few exciting opportunities awaiting them this term, including the ‘Clip and Climb’ Outdoor Pursuits sessions along with all the traditional festive excitements, including their first Uffculme School Christmas Lunch! - Miss Bartlett, Head of Year 7 Year 8 Highlights Every year, one of the key highlights of the Autumn Term is the Uffculme Challenge. This was Year 8’s first experience of this great Uffculme tradition. Students were bussed out to Hemyock and then dropped off at the start of the long walk back to school. It proved to be a great success with the weather staying fair and all students successfully completing the walk. Many of our Year 8 students have taken advantage of the range of Extra Curricular activities and Outdoor Pursuits events on offer during the Autumn term. We kicked off with a one-day canoe trip along the Exeter canal and River Exe. Some enthusiastic canoeists then committed to a five-week kayak course in Exeter at Haven Banks, working towards their paddle sport Discovery Award. A new ‘OP’ activity on offer this term saw Year 8 students trying out their skills in archery 'taster' sessions; this proved to be a great activity enjoyed by all. An old favourite at Uffculme is the opportunity to go caving - so far this year there have been two trips to Pridhamsleigh caves near Ashburton. Other Year 8 students have just started a 4 week 'NICAS' climbing course, which will see them working towards a new qualification. Our thanks go to Mr Eve for making so many of these memorable trips available. One of the highlights in our Personal Development Programme this term was the visit from a local police officer as part of our Drugs, Smoking and Alcohol Topic. In these sessions students research and discuss the issues around smoking, drinking and alcohol and are encouraged to develop their own thinking about the risks presented by these behaviours. The visit from the police provides a valuable insight into not only the legal system associated with drugs and alcohol, but also allows our students to benefit from valuable information and advice gained from the first hand experiences of a professional with many years’ experience. Another of our Year 8 topics is Democracy; in these sessions, our students explore the democratic process in the UK, are introduced to key terminology and have the opportunity to debate and explore some current political and social issues. One of the highlights of this topic is a visit from a Magistrate - in this session students take part in a mock ‘trial’ to learn about legal processes.

www.uffculmeschool.net 4 Year 8 Highlights (continued)

Another Autumn term highlight has been the formation of the Year 8 Student Council. They have already been very busy helping out at our recent Open Evening and playing an active role with our current recycling drive: encouraging all students to recycle appropriately during lunch times. I would like to con- gratulate the following students on their successful applications: Frances Grattan, Fleur Mitchell, Rory Duncan, George Church, Seb Gardner, Zibiah Bray, Isabella Oram, Lucy Elliott, Harry Hann, Meski Kempster-Weldon, Emily Packham, Matty Parker and Theo McGoldrick. Our Senior Student Council read all the applications and then made their short list, which was then passed onto our Leadership Team for the final decision. Our successful students’ applications stood out amongst a strong field, each of them demonstrating a strong passion for ‘student voice,’ a range of positive personal qualities, some leadership experience or skills and a clear idea of how they could make a positive contribution to the life of the school. Year 8 ‘Aspire’ Students have recently taken part in a two-hour debating workshop to develop their public speaking and debating skills. This was the first ‘Aspire’ event for Year 8 and was met with enthusiasm and engagement. It soon became clear that we have some very confident and strong public speakers - you can see more about this in the ‘Aspire’ section, later in the publication. It would be remiss of me not to mention my own Year 8 highlight for the Autumn Term. I am delighted to have taken on the Head of Year role for such an incredible year group. I have just read all of their Autumn reports and feel very proud of all their hard work; they have made a fantastic start to Year 8 and I’m very excited to be a part of their journey throughout the rest of the year. - Ms Challenor, Head of Year 8 Year 9 Highlights Year 9 have had a busy start to the Autumn term. In September 195 pupils completed the Uffculme Chal- lenge walk from Hemyock back to school via Culmstock Beacon. There was a great atmosphere on the day with teamwork and perseverance being displayed in abundance. This challenge is the first step to students achieving their Gold ties. Our U14 Netball team competed in and won the East Devon Netball tournament. They won all pool games, beating Sidmouth in the Semi-Final and then beating Colyton, who are long standing winners, to become U14 East Devon Netball Champions. They now go on to the county round of the National Schools’ Competition. Well done to: Scarlett Joiner, Holly Partridge, Isa Mackenzie, Lydia Persey, Louisa Gibbins, Avi Funnell, Lily Harding and Joanna Eldridge. Over 100 pupils have signed up for the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award and begun planning for their expeditions and volunteering within the community. This will be a fantastic achievement and hopefully a great experience for them all. Our Year 9 boys rugby team have gone through to the East Devon cup semi-final. They have beaten Honi- ton and Colyton and are due to play Exmouth or Exeter School in the next round. Congratulations also to the new Year 9 student councillors; Rebecca Newberry, Lily Harding, Eve Jacob, Patrick Wise, Scarlett Joiner, Fleur Drawert, Josie Cole, Tom Evans and Callum McIlhagga. To be considered, students had to write a letter of application; the successful students were selected from a very strong field, so well done to all who applied. - Mr Heard, Head of Year 9

5 www.uffculmeschool.net Year 10 Highlights It has been a pleasure to join the year group at this stage in their journey at Uffculme School. They’re a brilliant group of young people, with huge potential to do very well in the future. I’ve spent the last several weeks of the term getting to know them through learning walks in their lessons, popping in to their tutor groups during morning registration and personal development lessons and around the school. I’m hugely impressed by their positivity and their care for each other. I’ve also had the privilege of reading and sign- ing their reports - the vast majority of which are very impressive. My main reflection at this point is to encourage the year group to seize the opportunity that lies before them - if they want to do well and they put in the time, effort and concentration, our experience tells us they will leave Uffculme School proud of their achievements. By the time you read this you may have been able to attend our ‘Introduction to KS4’ evening in Novem- ber. At this event we worked through how this year ‘works’, with a special focus on preparation for the GCSE exams students will face in the summer. This year will pass very quickly, so it’s worth developing good habits now in preparation for the challenges they face during their GCSE courses. We recommend that all students try to have dedicated home-learning spaces and times in which they can complete homework and revision tasks that teachers have set them. I want to leave you with the advice I gave the year group in my first assembly as their Head of Year. We want them to do well, so we ask them to have great attendance, to work hard and to be kind. Attendance is crucial - dropping to around 90% means missing one day’s worth of education every two weeks - they can’t learn what they need to if they’re not here. Our teaching staff work hard to support all students, so we ask students to match this effort with their own - the new GCSE qualifications reward those who put in the time and effort. In other words, students should trust their teachers to properly equip them for their exams. Finally, we ask students to be kind - to each other, to their teachers and to themselves. A happy student is one who succeeds - we can all contribute to an environment in which everybody can be the best version of themselves. With your help, we can make sure Year 10 is a brilliant experience for everyone involved. - Mr Thompson, Head of Year 10 Year 11 Highlights Year 11 have had a brilliant start. I’ve been really pleased with the effort and commitment in lessons so far and the recent reports have been some of the students’ best yet. When I’ve dropped into lessons it has been great to see students engaging in meaningful and mature discussion about their subjects and the quality of work produced has been very positive. This term sees students sitting their Year 11 mock exams. This is an important part of our preparations for the summer as it not only gives teachers a clear indication of what their students do and don’t understand, it also gives the students a ‘dry-run’ at a condensed block of difficult exams. Gaining experience of working under the same exam conditions that will be applied to their real exams is key to alleviating some of the worry that students feel at these times. I was delighted with the way in which this year group ap- proached their mock (and real) exams last year and am confident they will enter into this next set in the same spirit. On top of their work in class, homework and independent study outside of school is absolutely fundamen- tal to a student’s success. We anticipate students to be working for one to two hours each night during the week, plus additional study over weekends during this year. Although this can seem like a lot, there is a clear difference in the results of students who do and do not apply themselves to this. Their summer exams may feature questions related to any part of their two-year courses, so independent revision of last year’s content, as well as that which is studied this year, is important. This can only be done effectively if it is spaced out over time, so beginning early is wise. Aside from academic studies, Year 11 have continued to throw themselves into extra-curricular activities. Our rugby team have enjoyed a lot of success recently, whilst our girls hockey team have powered through some difficult opposition in the last few weeks. In addition to sports events, many students are involved with the upcoming production of ‘Oliver!’ - from lead roles to backstage management. This is set to be a great show and a brilliant way for these students to round off some of their performances at Uff- culme. Finally, thank you for your continued to support in all its forms. I hope that all students have a positive final year and are able to do themselves proud next summer. As always, please don’t hesitate to get in touch if I can do anything to help at [email protected] - Mr Hagan, Head of Year 11

www.uffculmeschool.net 6 House Points Update

It was a truly packed year for the House System last year. Just over 100,000 points were scored across 34 different competitions. 50% of these points came from credits and weekly awards. We strive for ex- cellence in our everyday routine; the achievements of individuals is a big part of the foundation of the House System which is why we aim for this weighting of points. We are very excited for what is to come in 2019/20. The Autumn Term is one of the busiest and longest terms with plenty on offer from so many different subjects. Languages, Mathematics, English, Geogra- phy, Art, PE, RE, History and Food all have several contests in play. The current standings below, at time of writing, are predominantly from credits and weekly awards as most competitions will kick off later this half term. Gaddon’s supremacy over the past two years looks to be having an early challenge from Bridwell but this is only half of the picture. As soon as competitions start happening, I’m sure we’ll see some exciting changes. My challenge to you all is to get involved, take risks, try something new and make great memories in doing so. - Mr Osmond Current House Scores: (As of 18th November 2019)

‘Movember’ 2019

I ‘moustache’ you a question - why have three teachers been growing moustaches for November? It is all for a good cause - raising funds for the ‘Movember’ charity! The money raised from ‘Movember’ each year funds research and support for prostate and testicular cancer as well as mental health awareness. All three of our ‘moustacheers’ have been affected in one way or another by these issues; Mr Maddicks’s father-in-law unfortunately passed away in 2008 from prostate cancer, Mr Ellis’s father and uncle have both been diagnosed with prostate cancer in the last year, whilst Mr Latcham has lost three friends to suicide. Awareness and fundraising are hugely important in the prevention of early male deaths, so this is a ‘fan-tasche-tic’ cause and at the time of publication our ‘moustacheers’ have already raised £200!

7 www.uffculmeschool.net Library News We began the new school year in the library by offering all Year 7 students a brand new book through the ‘Bookbuzz’ scheme, generously funded by the PTFA. Students were able to choose a book to keep from a selection of contemporary fiction titles supplied by Booktrust, at no cost to themselves, to start them off on their reading journey at Uffculme School. The ‘Read Around the World’ House Competition has proved popular with KS3 students, with 14 tutor groups taking part so far this term. House points are on offer for whole tutor group multicultural fiction reading, with bonus points for students who produce an informative and attractive postcard based on the experiences of the characters in the book they have read together. To while away the cold winter months, the Year 8 Reading Challenge launched this term and will run until the beginning of the Summer term. This is an individual challenge which is open to all students in Year 8 and consists of Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards for the successful completion of a series of reading tasks, documented in a Reading Journal. Year 7 students have been challenged to read at least 8 books from the recommended reading list before they go into Year 8, with the ‘8B48’ challenge; Bronze, Silver and Gold badges are available for reading and reviewing 8, 12 or 16 books. I am very much looking forward to handing out house points, badges and awards to students taking part in the various reading challenges this term. - Mrs Davies, Librarian English Competiton

Every year the English Department runs a Sentences and Punctuation Competition for Year 11, wherein students need to demonstrate their ability to use a range of different sentence types along with a wide range of punctuation devices. There are three different competitions for varying ability ranges. The winning entries this year are as follows: Group 1 First: Amy Tonge Second: Samuel Arrowsmith Third: Sinead Corbett Group 2 First: Kirsten Dingle Second: George Ware Third: Alice Roberts Group 3 First: Izzy Sowden Second: Poppy Knight Third: Georgina Potter

All winning entries received Amazon gift vouchers - well done to you all!

www.uffculmeschool.net 8 Art Department News Year 11 Art and Art Textiles students visited London on the 17th of October for the annual Art trip. This was an amazing opportunity to gather resources for their current GCSE coursework. The students visited the Tate Britain and the Tate Modern and travelled between the galleries on the Tate ferry. The opportunity to see art work that had only been viewed in a book previously, as well as the chance to view the sights of London from the water, was relished by everyone and made up for the early start and late finish! A particular highlight was the sensory work of Icelandic artist Olafur Elliasson in the Tate Modern. His imagi- nation and sense of fun had everybody enthralled and giggling. Uffculme students were on their usual exceptional behaviour and made the trip an absolute pleasure for Mr Bertram, Miss Brain, Miss Bailey, Mr Cook, Mr Ellis and Mr Eve. We look forward to seeing the work developed from this fantastic trip when they complete their coursework at Christmas. - Mr Bertram

9 www.uffculmeschool.net Art Department News (continued)

Some of our Year 9 students recently had the opportunity to participate in an Art Workshop in conjunc- tion with the 'Aspire' programme. Students who have shown the greatest commitment and ability in Art were invited to attend the workshop which was run by visiting artist Kath Hadden. Kath has a workshop in Exeter, and sells her work through various galleries in Devon and private commissions. This was a highly successful day where the students were introduced to the world of an artist, her career and her work. Kath gave an inspiring talk followed by a hands-on workshop where each student created their own master- piece following Kath's expert guidance. It was so uplifting to see the students leave their inhibitions behind them and to be allowed to just enjoy being creative - and to produce fantastic work in such a short period of time. Thank you to Kath Hadden for coming in to run the workshops here at school, and to the students who were truly exemplary. - Mrs Rhodes

www.uffculmeschool.net 10 Performing Arts Dept. News Year 10 Monologue Performances Every year the Year 10 GCSE Drama students perform their outstanding monologues to an audience of family and friends, and this year’s students certainly lived up to the standards. On Monday 14th October a total of 32 pupils performed their self-written monologues. The audience, seated in The Venue, experi- enced a mix of genres; from comedy to tragedy, issue-based drama to suspenseful thriller. Topics included social media stars, celebrity fans chasing their idols, precarious pregnancies, racial struggles, death, darkness and loss. The students thoroughly enjoyed themselves and felt an immense sense of accomplish- ment after putting both their confidence and acting skills to the test. “After the performance I felt relieved that it was over but also a great sense of achievement for performing something that I’d personally made and created” (- Anna Lord, Year 10). A splendid evening was had by both the audience and actors. Well done to everyone who performed. - Katie Bainbridge, Year 10

Theatre Centre Performance and Workshop On Thursday 10th October our GCSE Drama students, along with around 40 Year 9 students, had the amazing opportunity to watch a Theatre Centre performance called ‘The Border’ in The Venue and to then work with the actors to develop drama skills. The performance was based on a combination of relevant events that have happened or are happening in modern times – focusing on the issue of borders between countries and what makes a home. We were able to see how a Brechtian style of performance can be used to send a clear message to the audience. We also had the opportunity to work with the actors on a Brechtian technique called ‘gestus’. This was an incredible experience as we were able to develop more skills as drama students; skills we will be able to utilise in our Drama studies. Every student lucky enough to attend is incredibly grateful for the opportunities offered that day. - Sinead Corbett, Year 11

LAMDA Lessons and Exams September 2019 saw the launch of LAMDA at Uffculme School. The course runs on Tuesdays after school (3:30-4:30pm) and is open to students of all ages, ably led by Abby who teaches and guides us through everything we will need to know in order to take the prestigious LAMDA examinations. More importantly we learn skills that we can use in all areas of life, not just in the drama classroom. We develop our speaking and communicating skills through various exercises and through learning monologues over a period of 12 weekly sessions. While our current group is focusing on monologues (group work is also possible) we still get to work together to meet new people, share ideas and pick up new techniques. LAMDA grades and qualifications are a fantastic asset to your CV or college/university application and, at Grade 6 and above, count directly towards UCAS points. I would encourage anyone who is even remotely interested in drama to join us next term because it is a great place to increase confidence and skills. Although there is an exam at the end, I find that the courage it inspires and the great sense of achievement you experience afterwards is fantastic. We would love to see some new and interested members next term. - Evangeline Wakefield, Year 11

11 www.uffculmeschool.net ‘Aspire’

Public Speaking Workshop The Year 8 Aspire Programme was launched to an enthusiastic group of students this year. Mrs Hanks started the programme with a Public Speaking workshop where students were encouraged to express their opinions about controversial issues in a formal setting. The workshop covered a variety of topics associated with public speaking, starting with ‘What is debating/public speaking?’, followed by a key skills session with activities (learning skills such as listening and response, delivery and expression, reasoning and evidence). The workshop then went on to ask the question ‘Why is debating important?’, which was followed by learning about famous people in debating, introducing the idea of a debate ‘motion’, ‘motion’ activities using the skills learnt earlier in the day, then finishing with the students conducting a mini debate. The skills they learnt will be invaluable to these students as many of the Aspire activities require students to express their thoughts and opinions. It also helps to build their confidence as they will often be asked to work with groups of students that they don't usually work with. Many students com- mented on how interesting and useful they found the workshop, and we hope to see some of them at Debating Club, which is run by Mrs Hanks every Wednesday in H3 and is always open to new members.

MET Office Talk On Monday 30th September, Year 9 and 10 Aspire students attended a talk by Penny Trantner from the MET Office. She discussed her experiences with the MET Office and her career - from a trainee weather forecaster, to a weather presenter, to a meteorology training manager at the MET Office College in Exeter, to finally becoming a MET Office advisor, specialising in severe weather conditions. Penny also spoke about careers in the MET Office that might be available to students as future career options. This includes IT practitioners, regional network officers, industry scientists and consultants, scientific software engi- neers, weather presenters and meteorologists. Penny finished the talk with information about the opportunities for work experience in the MET Office, giving Year 10 students more options to consider as they research and make their choices for placements in the Summer term. - Rebecca Gicquel, Year 10

www.uffculmeschool.net 12 Debating & Public Speaking Competition

Congratulations to the Uffculme Debating Teams on their recent success at the English Speaking Union (ESU) Churchill Debating and Speaking Competition. Six Uffculme students attended the competition in November; they have written the article below to share their experiences and thoughts. ‘Public Speaking: something that scares most people. But not us!’ On Tuesday 12th November our two Debating Teams headed to Queen Elizabeth in Crediton to take part in the first round of the English Speaking Union debating team competition. During the evening we listened to four different speakers from different schools discuss their views on a range of subjects varying from ‘the use of CCTV’, to ‘Should we abolish private schools’? Our students definitely owned their moments at our first Debating Competition and we battled it out to be crowned the first debate winners. Riley also won the overall prize for best ‘questioner’ of the competition. We now go through to the next round of the competition, which will take place later in the year in Exeter. - Uffculme Debating Teams (Freya Gray, Tom Evans, Riley Evans, Colin Bird, Reuben Ross-White, Molly Clist)

Year 8 STEMfest Trip On Friday 13th September, 55 students in Year 8 attended Plymouth’s biggest annual STEM event at the National Marine Aquarium. This year the Aquarium teamed up with the internationally acclaimed ‘Princess Yachts’ to provide an event where students had the opportunity to attend workshops, learn about different STEM careers, take part in competitions and of course visit the Aquarium itself. A further addition to the STEMfest this year was that all visiting schools were given a flatpack rowing boat kit to take back to school and build, then personalise! Princess Yachts have allocated us a mentor and over the next few months our linked school ambassador will visit us here at Uffculme to support our students with this project. Students will be building the boat, adding engineering equipment and then decorating it. Once it’s ready, one lucky student will be sailing the ’Uffculme Boat’ in Plymouth’s famous Mayflower Regatta in May 2020! This is such a brilliant opportunity and we are delighted that students were so enthusiastic and felt they had learnt a lot from the day. - Mrs Reed

13 www.uffculmeschool.net Year 11 ‘Medical Mavericks’ Visit On Wednesday 16th October all students in Year 11 took an hour out of their usual timetable to attend a workshop hosted by external providers ‘Medical Mavericks’. This was a PFTA funded event linked to the school’s Personal Development programme, giving students the opportunity to explore what careers are available the fields of health, sport science and medicine. This session was brilliant as it was not just aimed at those interested in pursuing university courses, but instead detailed the huge variety of different options available, and enabled all students to engage in practical and fun activities, helping them to discover routes into employment in the health and medical sector they may not have considered, such as apprenticeships. The event leaders from ‘Medical Mavericks’ both work in the industry themselves, so were able to answer student’s questions as well as talk about their own experiences and demonstrate the practical activities and equipment, which included; a real ultrasound scanner, an ECG monitor, drawing 'blood' from a false arm, a keyhole surgery simulator and much more! Feedback from the event was excellent, with students commenting that they really enjoyed the practical sessions and trying out all the equipment, whilst many noted that they felt they had learnt a lot about the opportunities available to them. - Mrs Reed

www.uffculmeschool.net 14 Extra Curricular & Club News NEW! Cyber Security Club (Years 9, 10 & 11) A brand new club has started this term, aimed at students who are looking for a new challenge and are interested in learning more about the digital world. The club is run by Mr Colwill and takes place on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday lunchtimes in P7. No coding or technological experience is needed but you must be 13 or over to participate. Students have been learning how to protect themselves and others in our digital world using the tools, skills and techniques that industry experts use on a daily basis. Following an HM Government funded programme called ‘Cyber Discovery’ (for more information please visit www.joincyberdiscovery.com) students have been working in teams and as individuals to push their natural creativity, problem solving ability and curiosity to solve real-world security problems and threats that professionals have faced. Our students have demonstrated a particular aptitude in the field of cyber security and have now been selected to enter the second phase of the programme. They are competing with students from around the country to solve increasingly complex challenges and scenarios utilising leading industry software. There are several phases in the programme; in the ‘Elite’ phase students will have opportunities to participate in residentials and work experience with industry leading experts and companies. In addition to the practical learning, students are learning the theory behind advanced security topics and concepts that extend beyond the normal GCSE and A-Level curriculums.

iDEA Award Launch Congratulations to Alex Parker on being the first student at Uffculme School to achieve both the Bronze AND Silver Award in the newly- launched Inspiring Digital Enterprise Award (iDEA). The iDEA Award is the digital equivalent of the Duke of Edinburgh Award and requires students to complete digital tasks and challenges to earn industry-recognised awards and unlock badges in five areas: • Being a Digital Citizen • Working in the Digital Industry • Making with Digital Technologies • Being an Entrepreneur • Respectful Gaming Students choose their own pathways through the award to develop and experience new skills or build on existing interests and hobbies. The iDEA Award is an internationally recognised achievement that demonstrates a high digital aptitude to further and higher education establishments and future careers.

15 www.uffculmeschool.net Extra Curricular & Club News Photoshop Club (All Years) This term in Photoshop Club we have had many new members join us, so we have mainly been learning the basics of using Photoshop, such as how to cut sections of images out and merge them with other work/images. As a group we recently completed a project about how changing things like font styles, shading and colour can change the impact of written words and phrases. We are currently revisiting the ‘Animorph’ project from last year, where we merge two animals together; for our next project we will be learning how to create custom Christmas cards. Photoshop Club is open to students in all year groups and takes place every Monday lunchtime from 1.45-2.25pm in A3 with Mr Cook. Come along and try something new - no experience needed!

Cookery Club (Years 8 & 9) This term Cookery Club members have been creating a variety of different dishes, learning new skills and as always enjoying their delicious bakes. In the first half term we made various meals including; Sweet and Sour Chicken, Chilli Beef Wraps and Spinach, Squash and Chickpea Curry. In this second half term we are creating party food items to host our own Christmas Party. The party nibbles include; Brie and Cranberry Twists, Sausage Rolls, Stained Glass Window Cookies and Christmas Pudding Truffles. If you are interested in joining Cookery Club please see Mrs Statton for further information.

www.uffculmeschool.net 16 Extra Curricular & Club News Graffiti Club Graffiti Club started in September this year and has been designed to teach a new art style and related techniques to some of our Year 11 students as part of their Art GCSE. So far in these sessions, students have been learning about the base principles of using spray paints, starting with the health and safety aspects and the basic techniques needed to use spray paints effectively and safely. In later sessions, students have moved on to designing and producing their own stencils and exploring further techniques and methods, such as creating multiple-layer pieces and learning how to achieve different effects with the paints, such as blending colour and creating ‘spatter’ effects. Spaces at this club are only available to Year 11 students taking Art GCSE and numbers are limited for health and safety reasons - if you think you would benefit from attending please speak to Mr Bertram or Mr Cook.

WCTSA

The WCTSA (West Country Teaching School Alliance) is now accepting applications from those wanting to train to teach for a September 2020 start. The WCTSA is based at Uffculme School and offers courses in a variety of subjects. If you are interested in training to teach or would like more information, please visit their website: www.wctsa.org Or get in touch on: [email protected]

17 www.uffculmeschool.net Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Our Duke of Edinburgh’s Award participants have been very busy! At the recent DofE manager’s meeting I was delighted to receive a certificate detailing the cumulative hours of activity they have undertaken. Last year they completed 1794 hours of learning a skill, 1690 hours of physical activity and 1859 hours of volunteering. The monetary value of their volunteering, based on the minimum wage for their age, is £7528.95. This is a fantastic achievement and shows the dedication and commitment of our students. These hours were accumulated by each participant committing to a minimum of one hour per week for a minimum of 13 weeks for each section. To achieve a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award a participant must complete their Physical, Skill and Volunteering sections as well as an overnight Expedition. Our next DofE Presentation Evening takes place in January 2020; details have been emailed to parents and a letter is also available on the school website: www.uffculmeschool.net/letters-home/dofe-presentation-evening-2019 A huge ‘Well Done’ to you all! - Mrs Purrington

www.uffculmeschool.net 18 Outdoor Pursuits As you will have read in the Year group highlights, we have had a really busy term in Outdoor Pursuits with some old favourites as well as some new activities which we have been able to add and which have proved to be very popular. There have been a number of canoeing and kayaking activities: both Year 8 and Year 9 had day trips on the Exeter Ship Canal and the River Exe and it was great to see Uffculme School back in Kayaks with students working towards the British Canoeing Discovery Award in a five week course at Haven Banks in Exeter. As in previous years we have enjoyed caving trips to Pridhamsleigh where our leader from Somerset Adventures took us down some new and very exciting routes. We have also been climbing at The Mill in South Molton where some pupils have undertaken a 4 week course leading towards their NICAS Level 1 qualification. This year we have arranged 3 Christmas visits to Clip ‘n’ Climb in Exeter which Year 7s are eagerly anticipating. Archery is an activity that is completely new to the OP calendar and we have had two taster sessions, which were enjoyed by all those who took part. There are more chances to take part in Archery later in the school year. There are still spaces on many of the OP activities through the rest of the school year and these can be booked through ParentPay.

19 www.uffculmeschool.net Uffculme Challenge As every year, on the last Friday of September it was the Uffculme Challenge which is the first step for students towards the Uffculme Achiever Award. Over 400 students from Years 8 and 9 took part in the Challenge Walk, a 12 mile hike from Hemyock passing through varied terrain including open moorland. Many school staff were also out on the Challenge, either walking with the students or manning the 19 checkpoints students had to pass through on their route back to school. The weather was kind and stayed dry for the day, though it was pretty muddy underfoot in places, and the atmosphere was tremendous. All the students who took part completed the walk and showed great teamwork and perseverance. Other students who were unable to take part in the walk completed a school based challenge where they had to work as a team to produce a short film. Well done to you all.

www.uffculmeschool.net 20 Astroturf

As many parents will know from the letter that was sent out recently, the school is currently seeking to add an all-weather Astro turf to our facilities. Uffculme is now one of the only secondary schools across all of Devon without an Astro turf, and whilst other sports facilities at the school are excellent, this lack of an all-weather pitch is putting a lot of pressure on our existing grass pitches. It also significantly limits our ability to effectively teach sports such as hockey and tennis as we would wish. And so the school, in collaboration with a group of hard working parents and supporters, are working to raise sufficient funds to build a sand dressed pitch which would allow us not only to play hockey but also tennis, football, rounders, athletics and carry out rugby training. An Astro pitch would also be a fantastic addition for the local community to use. As you will know the school already opens its doors every weekday evening, and at weekends, to allow the public to use our gym, dance studio and sports hall and there are several local sports clubs (hockey, football, tennis, rugby and athletics) that would love to utilise this facility once it has been built. A major step forward has already been taken with the project being granted planning permission by Mid Devon District Council (MDDC). The raising of funds is now the priority. However, we are not directly asking for funds from our parents at this time as the scale of the project is such that typical donations and contributions are unlikely to have an impact given the scale of the work involved – at present we anticipate that the cost will be in the order of £620,000. Instead we are seeking to raise awareness and support for the project as we approach national and regional grant-funding bodies and sporting charitable organisations. Further information about the project is available on the website and on the Uffculme Astro Turf Face- book page (details below). You can also follow the project’s progress on Twitter - please do check in and follow our journey as we work to achieve our goal. And if you are able to assist in practical ways, particularly if you have any experience of bid-writing or making grant applications, and have some time to spare, please do get in touch.

www.uffculmeschool.net/ astroturf-project

www.facebook.com/ uffculmeastro @uffculmeastro

@UffculmeAstro

21 www.uffculmeschool.net Student Welfare

www.uffculmeschool.net 22 Student Welfare Food and Mood

How can food affect mood? Have you ever had a ‘gut’ feeling or butterflies in your stomach? Has hunger ever changed your mood? Our bellies and brains are physically and biochemically connected in a number of ways. In fact there is such a close connection that our gut is sometimes referred to as our second brain. This means that what we eat and drink can influence the way our brains work and behave and the way we feel. Improving your diet may help to: • Improve your mood • Help you think more clearly • Give you more energy

Looking after your gut Sometimes your gut can reflect how you are feeling emotionally. If you're stressed or anxious this can make your gut slow down or speed up. For healthy digestion you need to have plenty of fibre, fluid and exercise regularly. Healthy gut foods include: fruits, vegetables and wholegrains, beans, pulses, live yoghurt and other probiotics. Quick tips: • Plain, full fat ‘live’ yoghurt can help keep your gut healthy. • If you’re feeling stressed and you think it is affecting your gut, try some relaxation techniques or breathing exercises.

Eating regularly If your blood sugar drops you might feel tired, irritable and depressed. Eating regularly, and choosing foods that release energy slowly, will help to keep your sugar levels steady. Slow-release energy foods include: pasta, rice, oats, wholegrain bread and cereals, nuts and seeds. Quick tips: • Eating breakfast gets the day off to a good start. • Instead of eating a large lunch and dinner, try eating smaller portions spaced out more regularly throughout the day. • Avoid foods which make your blood sugar rise and fall rapidly. These include things such as sweets, biscuits and sugary drinks.

Getting your 5 a day We all know that we should eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day. This is because fruit and vegetables contain a lot of the minerals, vitamins and fibre we need to keep us physically and mentally healthy. Eating a variety of different coloured fruits and vegetables every day means you’ll get a good range of nutrients. Quick tips: • Fresh, frozen, tinned, dried and juiced (one glass) fruits and vegetables all count towards your 5 a day. • As a general rule, one portion is about a handful, small bowl or a small glass.

Uffculme School Student Welfare Services

23 www.uffculmeschool.net Student Welfare Getting enough protein Protein contains amino acids, which make up the chemicals your brain needs to regulate your thoughts and feelings. It also helps keep you feeling fuller for longer. Protein is in: lean meat, fish, eggs, cheese, legumes (peas, beans and lentils), soya products, nuts and seeds. Quick tip: • Whatever your diet, why not do some research into other foods that contain protein, and find something new to try?

Eating the right fats Your brain needs fatty acids (such as omega-3 and -6) to keep it working well. So rather than avoiding all fats, it’s important to eat the right ones. Healthy fats are found in: oily fish, poultry, nuts (especially walnuts and almonds), olive and sunflower oils, seeds (such as sunflower and pumpkin), avocados, milk, yoghurt, cheese and eggs. Quick tip: • Try to avoid anything which lists ‘trans fats’ or ‘partially hydrogenated oils’ in the ingredients (such as some shop-bought cakes and biscuits). They can be tempting when you’re feeling low, but this kind of fat isn’t good for your mood or your physical health in the long run.

Staying hydrated If you don’t drink enough fluid, you may find it difficult to concentrate or think clearly. You might also start to feel constipated (not being able to poo). Quick tips: • Drink between 6-8 glasses of fluid a day. • Water is a cheap and healthy option. Try to keep a refillable water bottle with you. • Tea, coffee, juices and smoothies all count towards your intake (but be aware that these may also contain caffeine or sugar).

Managing caffeine Caffeine is a stimulant, which means it will give you a quick burst of energy, but then may make you feel anxious and depressed, disturb your sleep (especially if you have it before bed), or give you withdrawal symptoms if you stop suddenly. Caffeine is in: tea, coffee, chocolate, cola and other manufactured energy drinks. Quick tips: • If you drink tea, coffee or cola, try switching to decaffeinated versions. • You might feel noticeably better quite quickly if you drink less caffeine or avoid it altogether. For more information on how to eat well for better physical and mental health, plus lots of great recipes visit: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/

You might also be interested in this Ted Talk Food for thought: How your belly controls your brain | Ruairi Robertson | TEDxFulbrightSantaMonica https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awtmTJW9ic8 Uffculme School Student Welfare Services

www.uffculmeschool.net 24 Student Achievements We are delighted to announce that, having won the Devon Schools Choir competition in October, the Uffculme Choral Collective (UCC) are performing at this years' La La Choirs 'Celebration of Life' concert at Plymouth Guildhall in early December. Only five schools from across the county made it to the final stage and we are very proud that Uffculme's singers rose to the occasion to win. Samantha Abrahams, Music Director of La La Choirs said “I am so delighted that the work of the music team at Uffculme School has been showcased today and that they have won and will be performing with us in December. The staff are obviously very dedicated and it really shone through at the final.”

Well done to Ciaran Handforth who joined the Ocean Youth Trust in Scotland in the summer to sail around the Hebrides to complete and pass his Competent Crew course. He also enjoyed and benefit- ted from 2 weeks of dinghy and race coaching from his Congratulations to Scarlett Joiner club and Olympic on winning the Uffculme Library sailor Mark Rhodes Friends logo design competition. and GB squad Scarlett’s entry really stood out member Rhos Hawes. amongst a strong field of entries - well done!

Congratulations to Honey Drury who took part in the Devon Open Water Championships on Saturday 7th September at Teignmouth. Honey was competing in the U16’s 1.5K race; she finished in 3rd place with a time of 20 minutes 46 seconds, winning a Bronze medal. Her team, Exeter City Swimming Club, also won the best team trophy. Well done Honey!

25 www.uffculmeschool.net Student Achievements

On the 16th - 20th October, 3 of our Year 8 students (Kaitlin Trott, Emma Jarman and Agnes Eckersley -Hope) travelled to Buckingham- shire to compete against both state and private schools from all over the country in the NSEA Show- jumping Competition. They competed in both the 70cm and 80cm classes. Unfortunately as a team they were unplaced due to an unlucky 4 faults (1 pole down) - this shows how stiff the competition was! However Well done to Mia Hinds who Kaitlin went on to win in both recently took part in her first classes individually, making her a triathlon in Torbay. She completed double individual NSEA champion. a 200m swim, 6km cycle and 2km Uffculme has never competed at a combination. She achieved a national competition, let alone podium finish having come in in 3rd won, so this is an amazing achieve- place in her category - well done ment - well done girls! Mia!

Congratulations to Daisy Cligg and Lauren Parkhouse, who represented the whole of the South-West area in the Nation- al Young Farmers U14s reading competition in the summer and came First in their category. The competition involved reading from a book aloud and ‘in character’. The book to be used was not revealed until 2 weeks prior to the competition and the pages they would read were revealed only 20 minutes before their performances, so this is quite a testament to their memory skills as well as reading ability. Well done girls!

Congratulations to Megan Trott on her progress in the British Show Jumping Association Competition. Earlier in the year she qualified two ponies for the 2019 Horse of the Year Show, having travelled to Scotland to take part in the Scottish Home Pony International. Her pony, Shutterfly, was placed 5th out of 49 and qualified for the National 138cm championship. Her other pony, Nancy, qualified for the National Newcomer Final having been placed 4th out of 121 at the Welsh pony international. The Horse of the Year Show is an international event and is one of the biggest show jumping competitions in the calendar so this is a fantastic achievement. Well done Megan!

www.uffculmeschool.net 26 Student Achievements

Congratulations to Olly Simkin and Dillon Croft in Year 11, who were both invited to the recent Bridgwater and Taunton College Football/Course Taster day. Their football skills were impressive enough to get them invited back to play as part of the team in the South West Counties Under 18s Youth Cup against Weymouth. Both boys played very Congratulations to Frankie well against a strong Lambert who passed his opposition and did Adult Intermediate Wind- themselves proud. surfing Certificate during the Summer holidays. Well Well done Olly and Dillon! done Frankie!

Congratulations to Lucy Gardner, who, on the 2nd October, was one of 85 commended poets of this year’s Foyle Young Poets Award. The winning entries were selected from over 6,000 poets and over 11,000 poems by this year’s poet judges Raymond Antrobus and Jackie Kay. Writers aged 11-17 entered the competition from 76 different countries, from as far afield as Vietnam, Romania, Mexico and Japan, as well as the four corners of the UK. This is the fourth time Lucy has received an award for her poetry through various competitions. Well done Lucy!

Congratulations to Lily and Maisie Budden who recently competed as part of a group in two categories at the North Devon Dance Festival at Bideford. This was their first ever dance festival and the girls’ performances were excellent - so much so that they won themselves Gold medals in both of the categories they competed in. Well done to you both!

27 www.uffculmeschool.net Student Achievements

Well done to all students who took part in ‘Junior’ Boys the East Devon Cross Country Champion- ships, which were held at Bicton college on Thursday 7th November. Congratulations to the boys ‘Juniors’ (Year 8 and 9) and ‘Inters’ (Year 10 and 11) teams who both came in 1st in their category. A special mention goes to the following boys, who have qualified in the top 16 so ‘Inter’ Boys will go on to represent East Devon schools in the next stage: Jacob Aldridge, Jayden Loxley, Sam Persey, Ben Leggott, Isaak Shore-Quinain, Tyler Westcott, Charlie Hague, Silas Ross- White, Riley Evans, Jack Emmett and Finbar Malyon.

Congratulations to Chiann Allen who achieved her Congratulations Level 1 Basketball England to Toby Newbold Coaching Qualification at who, having Richard Huish College played cricket for over the Summer Culmstock Cricket holidays. Club this season, won both the Chiann impressed her Youth ‘Junior tutor so much that he has Batsman of the now put her on the path- Year’ (voted for way for the Level 2 by his coaches), Coaching Award. and the Junior Chiann has also accepted Players ‘Player of an Assistant Coach role the Year’ (voted with Huish Tigers U12, for by his team- with a view to taking over mates) at their as the main coach for this end of season group in the future. awards. Well done Chiann! Well done Toby!

Congratulations to Flic Cauchois for passing The Pony Club 'B' test, which is a worldwide recognised qualification and the second highest exam available within The Pony Club. It consists of two exams and requires a thorough knowledge of horsemanship and correct riding and offers direct entry to higher British Horse Society qualifications and professionally recognised equine teaching qualifications. Flic has worked extremely hard to achieve this over the last year - well done Flic!

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Spring 2020