Spotlight The Newsletter of the Benjamin Britten Music Academy and Centre of Excellence in Mathematics

Edition No.19: Spring half-term, 2018

Special Feature: Eco Club Launch Duckingham Palace

The school pond became the centre of attention recently when the Eco Club gathered to construct a floating duck house. Mr Champi on (geography) and the Eco Club, who have been busy clearing the pond in preparation for spring, identified several species of bird living in and around the area. The common moorhen (gallinule chloropus), identified by black plumage and a small red beak, mallards (anas platyrhynchos), and white-billed coot (fulica) had all been spotted in the vicinity. With the cold weather and the reduction of foliage, it was decided to place a sturdy duck house in the middle of the pond, therefore affording a safe place for birds to nest away from would-be predators. A wooden duck house, to be known as ‘Duckingham Palace’, was subsequently purchased and constructed. A number of Year 7 students joined staff after school on January 19 to begin work to launch the floating duck house into the pond. It is hoped that the new house will strengthen the existing habitat and become a point of interest for future members of the group. The Eco Club were ably assisted by Mr Leech (computing science) who helped construct the house from its component parts and stake the mooring lines to the bank of the pond. An Eco Club litter pick is also being arranged for when the evenings grow lighter and drier, and it is planned to coppice the trees surrounding the pond to improve the view of the area from the school drive. Students Ebony MacFarlane, Lily Garbutt, Paige Dempsey, Nikola Winkler, Olivia Steward and Gracie Morris are pictured (below) helping to assemble the duck house prior to launching. The Eco Club meets regularly to address issues relevant to the environment. In the past, members have received industry awards for their efforts in having solar panels fitted to the school and investigating the merits of a biomass boiler for the school heating system. Anyone interested in joining the group should speak with Mr Champion.

Benjamin Britten Music Academy and Centre of Excellence in Mathematics Blyford Road Lowestoft NR32 4PZ Telephone: (01502) 582 312

Year Group News Year 7: Year 7 have been raising funds for various charities including Guide Dogs for the Blind. On Monday 22 January, Year 7 had a visit from a young blind person, Ruby Blyth, and her guide dog, Ziggy (a lovely black Labrador). Ruby explained how her eyesight had deteriorated over the years since she was 11 or 12 years of age. Her life was restricted by the lack of peripheral vision and until Ziggy came along, she was restricted to her house. Now that she has Ziggy, she can get out and about and has started University, with Ziggy helping her all the way. Ruby explained how guide dogs are trained and that the whole process costs around £55,000. Our efforts in Year 7 will go towards enabling a guide dog puppy to be trained and the name of the puppy will be chosen by the year group. In addition, Year 7 held As part of Charity Week, 7AW held a Bake their annual Charity Week beginning on 5 February. Individual form groups Sale for their chosen charity ‘Make a Wish ran activities to raise money for their respective charities and the Guide Dogs Foundation’. Mr George (Assistant for the Blind. Activities ranged from Bake Sales, sponsored bike rides, Headmaster) is pictured in the cake queue. a Pub Quiz, sponsored silence and a ‘pop-up’ cinema complete with pop-corn and drinks. Our congratulations and thanks to everyone who got involved!

–Mr Wareham & Mrs Reynolds.

Year 8: Scholars have demonstrated tremendous enthusiasm in their academic and extra-curricular activities since returning after the Christmas break. Highest achievement points for the term are: Lucy Dixon with 29 points in the half-term and the tutor group with the highest achievement points for the term are 8JG with 258 points in the half-term. Keep your eyes peeled on the school’s Facebook page for these winners and the winners for Spring Term 1. Scholars achieving 25 achievement points or more so far this year (from January onwards) are: Amelie Rough, Caitlin Norman, Daisy Raven, Ella Moore, Ellie Lacey, Ellie-May Henwood-Howe, Eman Hatukai, Emily Moore, Ethan Wright, Farron Shilling, Georgina Parr, Georgina Wilson, Jess Read, Joshua Heaton, Joshua Reid, Katie Bloy, Leo Mann, Lily-Rose Clarke, Luke Saunders, Maddison Winney, Matthew Spence, Megan Fisher, Mia Burley, Oliver Bird, Sonny Rouse and Willow Woodger. Each half- term, our form tutors (Miss Galeski, Mr Gallagher, Mr Kennedy, Mr Sweetman and Mrs Dyball) each choose tutee to be awarded a certificate and prize for their efforts within their tutor group. Our winners for Autumn Term 2 are: Sonny Rouse 8AK, Ellie Lacey 8CG, Alesha Shaw 8BS, Shamini Nagendram 8JG and Shannon Collyer 8JD. Our Year 8 Copper Challenge has so far raised a total of £136, with 8JG contributing the most so far with £47! Keep your pennies and loose change coming in – you’re doing really well! Our Sponsored Silence was held on Monday 4 December, with around 25 Year 8 students taking part. They raised approximately £150, which is a fantastic effort! An exciting event is being staged by the Lowestoft Sixth Form College, who have invited 30 of our Year 8 scholars to attend a Careers Event on Wednesday 21 February. Scholars will have the opportunity to access valuable careers advice before choosing their options when they are in Year 9. They will have the opportunity to speak to employers about job roles within their organisations and will be encouraged to do so by carrying out a motivational activity with a chance to win a prize. Students will be travelling to the College by minibus, leaving Benjamin Britten at 10.45am and returning by 12.30pm. And finally congratulations to Mr Sweetman’s form group (8BS) for getting the highest percentage attendance for this half-term at 95.5%!

-Miss Armon & Miss Banns.

Year 9: In January, Mr Flanagan & Mrs Overy took two groups of Year 9 scholars tubing at Norwich Snowsports Club. The cold winter chill seemed the perfect weather for such a trip! Great fun was had by all and we will certainly be running this trip again in the future (see bottom right). Well done to scholars who gained 25 achievement points in December: Leo Chumbley, Shelby Smith, Brooklyn Smith, Farren Turner, Bradly Wells. Following the enormous success of the December Xmas Fayre, we were delighted to invite The Spinal Injuries Association to our assembly on 31 January where Mr Kevin Ogilvie and Mrs Esther Fisher-Cook were presented with a cheque for £400 by Hayden Bishop and Emily Sharman, two of our Form Representatives (pictured right). Important dates for your diaries: Thursday 22 February -Year 9 Choices Evening (Local colleges will be present). Thursday 22 March -Year 9 Parents’ Evening. Please note that letters home will follow with details of both evenings. We look forward to seeing you all! –Mr Flanagan & Mrs Overy

Year 10: We are pleased to report that Year 10 have had an excellent start to 2018. We continue to be impressed by the commitment that scholars have shown to their GCSE studies and we would like to congratulate them on their mock examination results. Before Christmas, as part of their community support project, scholars collected gifts and distributed them to the residents of the Blyford Road Care Home. The residents and staff were overwhelmed by the generosity demonstrated by the scholars and by the empathetic and caring attitude with which they approached the visits. We were pleased with the comments from scholars which included, “It was fantastic to see the elderly people enjoying our visit” and “I have learned a lot from talking to the residents, they had lots of stories to tell about what life was like in Lowestoft when they were younger.” We are looking forward to supporting scholars as they embark on their work experience. So far, scholars have approached the application process with maturity and enthusiasm. We have been impressed to by the numbers of scholars who have taken the initiative to approach employers and organise their own placements. Finally, we would like to take the opportunity to remind scholars of the afternoon prep facility offered by the Library. Afternoon prep provides an invaluable opportunity for pupils to receive guidance and support with their studies, homework and revision. Revision books are also stocked at very reasonable prices. –Miss Munnings, Mrs Barber & Mrs Brown.

Year 11: Scholars have attended further education assemblies provided by local colleges and representatives from local sports courses. Fundraising for the Year 11 Leavers’ Event is well underway, with a total of £631 currently raised. Further ideas from students for fundraising are always welcome. The Christmas raffle was a huge success and we would like to thank Mrs Keable for the lovely hampers which she provided. Our target is £1200 so we look forward to your continued support. Several Year 11 Social Ethics scholars have also set up a collection in the school for our local Food Bank. Food and toiletries will be donated to the Food Bank in order to help those people less fortunate than ourselves. Donations of tinned food, breakfast cereal, rice, pasta, long life milk, toothpaste, baby supplies, etc., are amongst items required. Any donations, however small, are greatly appreciated. All items should be taken to either the Upper or Lower School Office by Friday 9 February. We congratulate our scholars for their efforts and thank everyone who has helped with this project. In Prom news, Mrs Greenard and Mrs Edge will be visiting potential prom venues before half term. We are intending to hold the first meeting in regard to this after half term. Mock exams begin on the 12 March and students have signed for their timetable. Finally, we encourage all students to attend after school revision sessions and prep in the Library. Be sure to collect signatures on your revision loyalty cards!

–Mrs Edge and & Mrs Wright.

Bicycle Safety

As we welcome an increasing number of students choosing to cycle to school, we should like to inform parents, carers and students of the law and expectations pertaining to the use of bicycles.

We strongly advise that all students cycling to and from school are equipped with a suitable bicycle helmet. Bicycle locks are similarly recommended in order to securely store bicycles once on the school site.

Students who bring their bicycle to school during the winter months are reminded that under the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations (2009) it is a legal requirement for the following items to be fitted to a bicycle in use on the public roads at night or in reduced visibility:

1. A front lamp showing a white light, facing forwards. 2. A rear lamp showing a red light, facing rearwards. 3. A rear reflector, coloured red, positioned facing rearwards. 4. Amber pedal reflectors positioned to the front and rear of each pedal.

Cyclists who ride in the dark without lights pose a risk to themselves, motorists and pedestrians. Consequently, they can be subject to a Fixed Penalty Notice of £50 issued by the police.

ALL students are hereby reminded to exercise great care when cycling along busy roads, to abide by traffic signals at all times, and to always ride in a safe, responsible and considerate manner.

School Council Update Waveney Youth Council: On 23 January, Benjamin Britten hosted a meeting of the Waveney Youth Council in the school Library. Members discussed the problems surrounding young carers and raising the profile of young carers in the community. The council discussed activities in which young carers can participate and how help for carers can be provided. Carers can be asked to assist in caring for parents or siblings who are affected by physical or mental disability and often report being stressed and overwhelmed by their situation as many people fail to empathise with their work/life balance. It was hoped that such discussions would encourage broader provision for young carers in schools and other groups across the Waveney area. PCSO Norman Drew also addressed the group regarding crimes in the area that affect young people. The School Council meets regularly to discuss school matters, including charity events, extra-curricular events, visits by guest speakers and matters relating to young people in the wider community. Anyone wishing to raise a matter for discussion should contact a School Council Representative.

School Nurse

Helen Dyer is the designated School Nurse for our school. Helen has been a school nurse for 14 years and is a Registered General Nurse and a Registered Midwife with a specialism in community public health. Helen is in school every Friday and is available for students to visit for support and advice regarding health related issues including physical, sexual, emotional health and well-being and friendships and relationships. Appointments made between Helen and students are confidential, unless there are

safeguarding concerns or a student has agreed to her sharing information with others. Referrals to the Finally, on Monday 10 July, officers from the Suffolk Cybercrime unit came into school to present workshops on Cyber- School Nurse can be made by parents, schools, other professional agencies and by the children Safety to the pupils. We’d like to thankthemselves. parents and You carers can contactfor their Hele supportn using over the the following year and details we wish: you all a wonderful summer break. -Miss Munnings, Mrs Brown and Mrs Barber. Year 10: It’s beenTel: a busy (01502) half -532term 053 for Y ear Email: 10, with [email protected] mock exams and work experience, along with visits to both East Norfolk and Lowestoft Sixth Form colleges. Our students have been out on their work experience placements, with many interesting placements having been arranged. The most imaginative placement is undoubtedly that of Zac Ketteringham (10BG) who managed to secure a position in Switzerland at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) where the Large Hadron Collider is based and the World Wide Web was created! Feedback from placements has been positive and many students have excelled themselves in their attitude and enthusiasm.

Forty Years On:

A Celebration of Our School

This year marks a significant milestone in the history of the Benjamin Britten School. It was forty years ago that the school first opened its doors to pupils. Many changes have occurred in that time, but the school remains firmly rooted in the community it serves. We aim to celebrate our collective history through the inclusion of archive reports and photographs from the last forty years.

Construction Underway In 1977, North Lowestoft was highlighted as an area for phased housing developments adjoining the Spashett Road and

Parkhill estates. A third high school for the town was allocated to these development areas on fields adjoining College Farm. The marshy fields were still littered with concrete anti-tank blocks and pillboxes from the Second World War and required a considerable effort to clear. The area highlighted on construction plans, showed a school site overlooking farm fields, connected by newly-made roads and a bridleway. Architects Mr Edwards and Mr Dale designed the school. They create d a striking, modernist-inspired building with clean, white walls and black tinted windows, settled entirely within the existing rural landscape. Due to the high water table of the area, foundations of pulverised ash, one metre thick, were laid to allow the structure to ‘float’. This necessitated lightweight walls and a single storey construction. Great care was taken to preserve existing hedgerows, ponds and oak trees that border the site. It was decided to name the new high school after Lowestoft’s most famous son, Benjamin Britten, who had died in 1976. Miss Gillian Smith was appointed the first Headmistress of the school and was aided by two assistants and a Board of Governors.

‘Like him [Britten] we shall send our roots deep down in

our corner of East Anglia. And like him we shall want to

find new ways of seeing and saying things for the modern

world in which our young people are growing up. The friends of Benjamin Britten, who have lent us his name, have also lent us an identity. He was a modest and humane person, a man of peace. Here are ideals and qualities which we are glad to borrow. We hope to make them our own as our young school grows up.’

-Miss Gillian Smith, Headmistress, 1978.

Above left : The framework for the main building takes Above right: A cement mixer delivers material for the site shape. The photographer is looking into the Library, floor as seen from the roof of the Sports Hall. This area is with the Atrium on the left and the Sports Hall in the now the Languages and Learning Support area. distance.

Philanthropy News

Year 8 Care Home Visit: Just before the Christmas holiday, Miss Armon and Miss Banns took a school minibus of Year 8 scholars to spend the afternoon at the Broadlands Care Home. Scholars had baked cakes and made Christmas cards to distribute to the residents. After having a tour of the home and having a chat with the residents, scholars sang Christmas carols to conclude their visit. It was a truly heart-warming afternoon in which scholars conducted themselves with great enthusiasm, helping to convey a little extra Christmas cheer in our community.

News in Sport

Football

We are pleased to report that Year 7, 8 and 9 boys’ football teams, coached by Mr Humphrey, are all through to the County Cup quarter finals.

The Year 7 team had a really tough match away at Hadleigh High School in Ipswich. In torrential rain they recovered from a goal behind to win the match 4-3. The team played some lovely football in very challenging conditions and are looking forward to seeing who their opponents are in the last eight.

The Year 8 team had a really close game against , narrowly winning 2•-1. The team is getting better and better with each game. Particular praise must go to Ben Anderton (8JG) for playing in goal at such short notice. David Mitchell (8JD) also scored an early contender for goal of the season when he ran

half the length of the pitch, beat three defenders and calmly slotted the ball home in the back of the net.

The Year 9 side are hitting top form at the right time. Defensively they look very strong and the goals are coming from many different players. In a really tight encounter against King Edward VI School from Bury St Edmunds, the Britten team managed to hold on for a 3-2 victory. Congratulations to all our teams for representing the school so well and for all their success. Long may it continue!

Sports Clubs: School sports clubs continue to be popular, with over 125 students attending lunchtime table tennis over the five lunchtimes. Pickleball, held every Tuesday after school, has fourteen students regularly attending. Year 7 boys’ football, held on Wednesday after school, currently has 29 participants each week and Thursday

after school table tennis has fourteen players attending weekly. Anyone who is interested in joining any of the clubs offered, please see a member of the P.E staff.

And in Other News

Visual Arts Visit V&A: The Visual Arts Department took forty-one Year 10 and 11 students to London to visit the

Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) on 16 January. Scholars are studying either art, photography or textiles. The day was spent investigating various forms of art. Scholars were

asked to explore the galleries and make drawings from objects that linked to their GCSE themes and were amazed by the huge variety of objects from all corners of the

globe. A wide variety of different periods of history were on show and the impact that art had on society from fashion to furniture was clearly demonstrated. The day was rounded off by an impromptu tour on the coach of Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament, giving students an opportunity to take some quick snap shots of these world famous landmarks. Mrs Steward (art) would like to thank parents for supporting this trip and hopes the scholars will continue to visit galleries and explore art in the widest context.

Cello Lessons Available: Mr Morgan (music) is hosting ‘drop-in taster sessions’ for any scholars interested in learning to play the cello. Sessions are held every Wednesday lunchtime in the music room. Feel free to pop along for a discussion or demonstration. All year groups are welcome.

New Members Requested: Group A, a free vocal performance group for 8-18 year olds in Lowestoft, are looking for new members. The group works with professional musicians and takes part in exciting performances throughout the year. If you enjoy singing and performing different kinds of music, come and try a session or contact Karen Dickman at [email protected]. Group A will be visiting the school on the evening of Wednesday 14 March for 8-12 years olds from 4-5pm, and 13-18 year olds from 5-6pm, so feel free to drop in for an informal chat.

Creative Writing Club: Mrs Sweetman (English) is hosting a Creative Writing Club in her classroom every Friday lunchtime . Any students interested in nurturing their creative writing skills from any year group is welcome to attend, so feel free to bring your lunch and drop-in.

Geography Field Trip: On 12 January, 28 Year 11 GCSE geography scholars visited Southwold for the day as part of their fieldwork component for GCSE studies. They spent the morning investigating the use of wooden groynes on the beach and the overall beach profile. In the afternoon, the group investigated the impact of tourism on the town. It was a glorious sunny day and the students behaved very well and completed all their work to a high standard. Mr Flanagan and Mr Champion (geography) and Mrs Nunn (T.A) accompanied the trip and were supported in their efforts by

The Geography Fieldwork Academy. The group is pictured (left) in front of Southwold Pier.

Year 8 Cinema Trip: On Tuesday 19 December, Heads of Year Miss Armon and Miss Banns, took 120 Year 8 students to

Lowestoft Cinema to watch ‘Paddington 2’ and ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’. The screens had been booked out as a reward for Year 8 success and hard work in the term leading up to Christmas. It was a wonderful way to start the Christmas festivities and all scholars were impeccably behaved.

Update on World War One Requiem Project: In early January, the school hosted a meeting of Requiem’s (Great Yarmouth and World War 1) research team students from Benjamin Britten School, Trafalgar Academy and East Norfolk Sixth Form. They enjoyed a fabulous workshop on exhibition panel writing, run by Norfolk Museums’ Miss Ruth Burwood. They evaluated good and bad panels from other museums and experimented with how to get the most information into the fewest words. Editing their own research into 250 words was tougher than they thought, even with the assistance of Mr Gallagher (history). This, along with work by neighbouring schools, is being turned into pop-up banners and will be on display at the Hippodrome Theatre in Great Yarmouth on March 2 as part of the multimedia project finale.

The project’s steering group, plus extras from the Britten School, with the support of Miss Galeski (English), explored their whimsical side in two inspirational creative writing workshops run by Mr Shey Hargreaves from the Norwich Writers Centre. They produced some moving and thought-provoking pieces of work which they will read during the Requiem performances.

New Year 8 Electives List: Year 8 scholars are now able to switch their elective choice to see them through until the summer holidays. Heads of Year Miss Armon and Miss Banns have been very impressed with the effort and attitude shown in elective sessions and hope scholars are looking forward to their new groups after February half-term! Here’s what’s on offer:  Craft and design with Mrs Baker and Mrs Knights

 Dance with Mrs Halse  DofE (Duke of Edinburgh) with Mr Leech  Drama with Mrs Breen  Football with Mrs McDonald  Game Design with Mr Leech  Local History & Ghost Stories with Mr Mullender  Music with Mr Morgan  Soapbox with Mr Sweetman

After-School Prep and the Library:

The Library stocks revision guides and workbooks for sale across all subjects at half the recommended retail price.

Students can also purchase comprehensive stationery packs to aid revision as well as help themselves to free revision timetables. The Library is available for quiet study, revision, project work and reading at break and lunchtime. After- School Prep is also hosted in the Library from Monday to Thursday, 3:30-5:00pm. This is an ideal opportunity to complete homework, assignments and revision and a free snack and drink is provided for students. One-to-one careers advice is also available during this time and students are welcome to drop in for help with CV writing.

Examination Notices:

Miss Smith (Exams Officer) requests that all Year 11 scholars familiarise themselves with the following list of exams:

Year 11 iFinance E-Tests (All afternoon exams)

 Friday 2 March: X Band  Monday 5 March: X Band  Thursday 8 March: Y Band  Friday 9 March: Y Band

Year 11 Mock Exams (March) begin Monday 12 March until Friday 16 March (these are morning and afternoon exams)

Take Your Place: The project is going from strength to strength in school this term, encouraging more scholars to consider career opportunities and progression into Higher Education. Jo Hand (Higher Education champion) has been working with a range of Year 11 scholars, supporting them with their college applications and delivering Revision Skills workshops to help them prepare for GCSEs. Jo is hoping to accompany some of them to the University of Suffolk in the spring to give them a taste of student life and a chance to explore courses which are of interest to them. Later this term, Jo will be supporting Year 9 students as they make their Options Choices and will be available to talk to scholars and their parents at our Year 9 Options Evening on 22 February.

Community Trust Grant: The Britten School has been awarded an Adnams Community Trust grant to purchase some new musical instruments. Mr Morgan (music) is busy making a shortlist of preferred instruments.

Kitchen Corner New Canteen Menu We have an exciting new menu for our return after half term, with some old favourites and some new dishes from around the world. The new menus are available to view on the Vertas website: www.vertas.co.uk.

A selection of items from the new menu include: Pork and apple burger with potato wedges; tex-mex beef burrito; sweet chilli chicken rice box and salad; Indian cauliflower curry and rice; roast beef baguette with gravy; mac ‘n’ cheese; fish and chips; beef lasagne with garlic bread.

If you have any thoughts or suggestions about things we could include in our menu,

please contact Mrs Sturman on (01502) 526 133.

Dates for the Diary:

12 February 2018 February half term 19 February 2018 PD Day 20 February 2018 Students return to school 21 February 2018 Year 8 Lowestoft Sixth Form College careers trip 22 February 2018 Year 9 Choices Evening (local colleges will be present) 12 March 2018 Year 11 Mock Exams begin 19 April 2018 PE Trip to Loughborough University

Celebrating Forty Years

A copy of the ‘IMAGES’ booklet created by the School Council for new students starting at the school, dating from 1983. The main black and white photograph shows the Atrium looking towards the Sports Hall. The Atrium was originally an open-air courtyard surrounded by covered walkways, with a rose garden located in the centre. The photographs at the top all show various views of the area immediately outside the Atrium.