THE KINGS OF WESSEX COMMUNITY SCHOOL A Specialist Technology College Issue 66 You can also enjoy in colour on our website: THE KINGS’ MESSENGER www.kowessex.co.uk End of Spring Term – March 2006 Contents Dear Parents Page no: 1-3 Head’s Introduction As the Easter Holidays draw near, I am pleased to report on 3 Mr Motivator Coaches Year 11’s this final half of the Spring Term. 4- 6 Special Achievements & School Colours 6-9 Main School Office I am aware that our Year 11 students have been working 10 Keeping Students in the Loop! hard to complete GCSE coursework and are beginning to 11 English Trip to see “Hamlet” 12-13 Drama Trip to see “The Woman in Black” focus on revision for their impending exams. With this in 13-14 In the Drama Studio mind, Head of Year 11 Terry Clark organised an innovative 15 MuKows Strike a Note for Music Spotlight Study Skills Programme led by a motivational 16 Biologists get ready for exams speaker Keith Antoine combining his background in athletics 16 Year 13 Foodies Trip coaching with his understanding of management training. I 17 Midwives teach the Facts of Life am delighted that many students were extremely positive 18 -20 Modern Languages see the World! 20 William Cray Foundation about this novel experience. 21-22 Christian Leader full of Spring! 23-24 The LRC gets Scientific! Continuing to keep our students focused, parents will be 24 IT for the Terrified aware that as in previous years we are running an Easter 24 Finance Office Message 25-30 Sports News revision programme for Year 11 and Sixth Form students to 31 Year 9 SAT’s Exam Timetable support them in their preparation for examinations. I would 31 Year 10’s Exam Timetable encourage parents to support their children at home with 32 School Calendar (to June Half Term) their revision. We are also monitoring our teaching and learning work within school and this was highlighted this term when we received two Ofsted visits. An HMI visited our Science Faculty following a Science subject inspection last year. I am pleased to say that Kings was selected as a case study school for its work in the successful take-up in Post-16 Science. As a consequence of the visit, the school was invited to make a presentation at the prestigious Royal Society in London on Friday 10 March 2006 when my Assistant Headteacher, Dave Kelly and Head of Science Bethan Riddick duly travelled to London to represent Kings for this impressive occasion. An HMI also spent two-days reviewing the work of our P.E. team for a subject inspection providing valuable feedback on our work within P.E. The Inspector commented positively on our own self-evaluation and rated the Faculty as Good overall. I am grateful to Rod Bell and his team for all their continued work within the curriculum and also in extra curricular activities. On the theme of sport, a big highlight of this half term was a visit from Top Double Olympic Athlete, Dame Kelly Holmes. 1 This was thanks to us winning a Weston Daily Press competition in conjunction with Sainsbury’s as part of their Active Kids project. Dame Kelly proceeded to lead a lesson with fifteen of our starstruck Year 9 students proving herself to be a natural teacher displaying all the discipline of her background of rigorous training as she successfully enthused and coached the students. We received some more good news this term when we learned that our Re-Designation bid for our Specialist Status has been renewed for a further four years until August 2009. A considerable amount of work went into the bid, so it is particularly gratifying to receive this news. This next phase will enable us to raise achievement further in our specialist subjects of Technology, Science and Maths and to strengthen curriculum provision. We will also be developing links with our Partner First Schools to support their work in delivering Science and Design Technology and at the same time offering opportunities for Gifted and Talented students. On the subject of success, this term our catering team Scolarest have been awarded a Healthy Eating Award. My thanks go to Colette Brimble and her team for their hard work in driving forward our healthy eating agenda. We are also working towards our Healthy Schools Award and I am grateful to the work by colleagues who are active in this project. At the time of writing, the consultation period for our proposal to become a Foundation School is now drawing to a close and Governors will be making their decision at the meeting at the end of this Spring Term. I will of course be writing to parents with the announcement in due course. This term we celebrated music at Kings with our Easter Concert that was an enjoyable evening of a variety of music by our students and I am grateful to Paul Taylor, Sally Bishop and Jane Lincoln for their work in preparing students for their performance. I would also like to thank formally our Parents Support Group “MuKows” (Music at Kings) for their enthusiastic work behind the scenes building music at Kings. In addition to their twice-termly meetings, I am aware that they are writing letters and supporting events, and have already raised an impressive £1,000! There is exciting news to report on our various building plans. The Modern Languages/ICT building is on track with the foundations now laid and I know that our Modern Languages team are looking forward to their new accommodation later in the year. Similarly, our extension to the Music and Drama block commenced in the half term and will continue during the Easter holidays. I am delighted that the Governors have recently given their approval for a new Drama block and we are now working closely with Architects to prepare a planning application and specification for tender. It is anticipated that work will commence in October. This term we have been recruiting for next year’s Sixth Form and my Senior Leadership Group has been undertaking interviews with our Year 11 students as they consider the important next stage in their education. Students will be excited to learn that The Sixth Form Common Room will be undergoing refurbishment during the summer holidays in readiness for their new school year. With two terms nearly complete, we are indeed, beginning to think about our next school year and the Year 9 students who will be moving up from the Middle Schools. Admissions are set to be oversubscribed with 282 students offered places for September 2006 and we will be commencing their induction programme in the Summer Term. 2 The end of this Spring Term marks the conclusion of our work with Wadham School and I thank my Assistant Headteacher Tony Wilson for his work as Acting Head. This has been important work for the staff and students at Wadham as we have endeavoured to use our experience of Kings to make a difference to teaching and learning and behaviour. Back at Kings, I have been grateful to my senior colleagues who have taken on extra responsibilities and I would particularly, like to thank my Deputy, Barbara Marshall for stepping up as Acting Head at Kings. Both Tony and myself are now looking forward to our return to Kings with fresh ideas and a renewed enthusiasm. I would like to thank parents for their continued support this Spring Term and wish you all a happy Easter break with your families. Yours sincerely, CHRIS RICHARDSON Executive Headteacher Mr Motivator coaches Year 11 students for the last lap of their GCSE’s! Year 11 students were recently coached by top Mr Motivator Keith Antoine in an innovative Study Skills Spotlight Programme organised by Head of Year 11, Terry Clark. The impetus for this pioneering conference was to instil motivation and study skills in students in the final run-up to their GCSE exams, students were actively encouraged to think actively and creatively about what motivates them with a view to succeeding in their exams and also beyond school throughout their lives! During the course of the morning, students excitedly listened to an energetic, lively and highly motivating talk by Keith Antoine before moving into workshops. They were invited to stand up during the course of Keith’s introduction and do exercises in order to consider about how they combine their thinking and physical skills. They really enjoyed this alternative approach to exam preparation and demonstrated a huge willingness to learn. Mr Motivator, Mr Antoine has a background in the computer and telecommunications industry, before moving into competitive track and field athletics. Following his “retirement” he became a successful coach working alongside a striking line-up of World Championship and Olympic medallists – including a Manchester Commonwealth Games silver winner! During the mid-1990’s, Keith seized an opportunity to combine both his athletics coaching with his understanding of management training of people within their organisations. This fusion of physically involving his audience in the training with his management knowledge has proved to be very successful. Keith names a growing number of impressive clients including Microsoft UK, British Airways, WHSmith, BAE Systems and Mercedes-Benz UK. It is hoped that Keith will perhaps return for a future session following his successful début at Kings. 3 Special Achievements – Roll of Honour We are pleased to note this half term’s Special Achievement triumphs: Of significant mention are Ben Peverall 9SS and Daisy Banwell who are the first ever students to achieve Platinum (for a staggering 50 merits) and then to start again with a second Bronze award! Well done Ben and Daisy and all our students for their