Wednesday 20th July 2016 Issue 39 HEAD’S LINES Remarkably it is only 190 school days since: • Year 7 joined the school full of wonder about what opportunities this would bring • Year 8 moved up to become experienced guides to life at Wilmslow High School • Year 9 began the year that would see them make their GCSE options choices • Year 10 embarked on their GCSEs, including the new English and Mathematics courses with the 9-1 grading system • Year 11 began their final year of compulsory schooling • Year 12 chose to join the sixth form to study either A-Level or BTEC qualifications • Year 13 returned ready to focus on university, apprenticeship or gap-year applications and in just six weeks’ time, this cycle will begin all over again. Before then, however, we should take a moment to reflect on the remarkable year that is coming to a close. In years to come, 2016 will be remembered Such variety stems from our belief in providing internationally and nationally for a range of a powerful curriculum that is deep, broad historic events. However, for members of and balanced, a ‘whole’ curriculum that the Wilmslow High School community it also enables our students to develop the powerful deserves to be remembered for moments of knowledge, skills and qualities which will help great collective and individual achievement them flourish in life, learning and work. that have been faithfully captured in the weekly editions of High Notes. (continued over leaf) These achievements stem from our drive to pursue excellence for every student, every day. It is this pursuit of excellence that carries so many students to local, regional and national finals or awards in sport, public speaking and debate, business enterprise, extended writing and performing arts, the STEM subjects, community and social action or the many strands of art, design and technology. 1 This commitment to creating the conditions in which our students can flourish we describe as developing young people of character. We want Wilmslow High School students to • have a ‘do more and be more’ approach • be guided by moral purpose, intellectual engagement and a spirit of enquiry • be determined to succeed through hard work and effort. All of this sits within a philosophy that places our school at the heart of its community, providing all our students with a sense of belonging to, and opportunities to participate in their full community, local, regional, national and global. These are all themes within our next three-year School Improvement Plan, a diagrammatic summary of which you can find in the End of Year Notes published this week. I, and all the staff of Wilmslow High School, look forward to continuing on this journey with you and your children in September when we all return refreshed from the summer holidays. Good-bye, good luck and thank you! At the end of this academic year we say goodbye and thank you to colleagues as they move on from Wilmslow High School. This year there are a number of members of staff who will be leaving: Mr Egan Mr Atkinson Mr McKeever Mrs Robinson Mr Cooper Mr Corker Mr Fitzgerald Mr Gupta Mrs Mackintosh Mr Hayley Mr Shea Mr Matthews Miss Ryan Mr Cartner We are very grateful for all they’ve done for the school’s students during their time here. For Mrs Knowles (English), Mrs Macnee (geography) and Mrs Maclean (learning support), today marks the end of their careers in education as they look forward to retirement. Mrs Knowles (39 years) and Mrs Macnee (33 years) have both spent a large amount of their teaching careers here at Wilmslow High School, so a special thanks to them both for all of their many and varied contributions over such a long period of time. NEWS Afternoon Tea at Wilmslow High School During this year’s Whole Education Week we took great One guest commented, “It was pleasure in holding our 4th great for the local residents annual community afternoon tea to be invited into the school event. and be looked after so well by the next generation of Leading up to the event the Year Wilmslow” “Fabulous food 10 catering and food technology and music, thank you for all students were busy making of the wonderful service too, scones, Victoria sponges and all the students are so polite sandwiches of the highest quality, and pleasant- a credit to the meanwhile the music Xtra students school” were practising various ensembles to show off their musical talents on A big ‘thank you’ to the the day. talented music and food technology students involved, Year 9 and 10 food technology my colleagues in food students transformed the hall into technology and music and to a grand tea room, with covered the site staff who were all a tables, flowers and menus. fabulous support for the day. Over 100 residents living locally A final thank you goes to and in nearby care homes our guests who generously attended, along with parents of donated just over £250 which the students involved. The event will go some way towards the itself is one of the highlights of cost of a new blast chiller for the year for us as teachers. Although very the food technology department. We are still time consuming in the planning, nothing beats a long way from affording this equipment but hearing the wonderful feedback from our hopefully we can raise the funds in the future. guests on the day. Miss P Speed 3 Art Exhibition The art team welcomed staff and students to view the fantastic end of year exhibition to celebrate the art work of Year 11, 12 and 13 on Tuesday afternoon. The display featured an eclectic mix of outcomes from the graphic, photography and art and design specialisms, showcasing a high level of draughtsmanship, attention to detail and personal responses developed by students through their course of study in the department. On display were many innovative, creative and inspiring artworks. Final pieces produced by Year 13 students Hannah Saks, Ellie Prime, Alice Du Fresne and Lauren Mooney were selected by the Wilmslow Decorative and Fine Arts Society (NADFAS) for submission to a National A Level competition organised by the RBA. Their work will go forward to the next stage of the competition and will be considered by a team of academics from the association. If successful, the students’ work will go on display in February at The Mall galleries in London. The art team will continue to showcase students’ talents during The Wilmslow Art Trail in October. 4 Youth Dance Showcase Members of Year 7 and 9 Dance club had the opportunity to perform at Aquinas College, Stockport on Tuesday 12th July. The dancers represented Wilmslow High School as part of a Youth Dance Showcase. The Year 9 dancers performed two beautiful contemporary dance pieces: ‘Royals’ and ‘Grenade’. Year 7 Dance club performed an exciting version of ‘Fame’. All dancers had a wonderful experience of performing in a modern theatre and participating with other local schools. They were very professional and performed with energy and enthusiasm. The Dance World Cup Three talented dancers from Wilmslow High School were selected to represent Team England at The Dance World Cup in Jersey. All girls were competing against children from all over the world in their individual sections. Martha Burwood and her dance team were awarded a bronze medal in both the Children’s Hip Hop and Classical Ballet sections. Hollie Burwood (right), Susy Pythian (left) and Martha Burwood (right) competed in the junior group modern section, where the standard was incredibly high and they missed out on a medal by only 1.3 marks, awarding them 5th place. The points from all of the girls’ dances contributed to England being the overall winning country of The Dance World Cup 2016. Well done!! 5 Activity tracker trials A number of our Year 10 students have been trialling activity trackers this term. The project has been run in conjunction with one of our Achievement Partners, Life Leisure/Actilife, who approached us to help trial this innovative new product. The group of 20 girls were provided with a “Pebble” which was worn on a shoe or on the hip throughout the day, including during PE lessons, extra-curricular practices and even some competitive fixtures. The data captured included the number of steps taken during the day, exercise Year 8 visit places of worship intensity (whether light, moderate, or During Whole Education Week the Social vigorous), the distance covered, and the Studies Department took Year 8 to length of time that students have been Manchester to further their exploration of the active. world religions. Having studied Sikhism and Buddhism throughout the year the students The project allowed students to compare were very excited about the visit. personal activity levels, set themselves challenges, work together to achieve At the Buddhist centre students began to group targets and gave them an master the art of meditation. Thoughtful insight into healthy daily activity levels. questions were raised regarding the nature of Connecting automatically to a computer or a religion without God. to the student’s phone, the girls were able to monitor their activity over time. The Sikh temple (Gurdwara) filled students with curiosity as they wore customary bright It wasn’t just the orange headwear upon arrival. We learnt of students who got Sikh identity and the symbolism of the turban involved either. for Sikhism. Sikhs acceptance of religious Mr Williams, pluralism and langar was a reflection of their Mr Lightfoot value of equality. Langar is part of a Sikh’s and Mrs Kelsall practice, when they offer free vegetarian all took part.