Chew Valley School Learn Grow Achieve

Newsletter February 2018

From the Headteacher On the 1st February Chew Valley School joined the Lighthouse Schools Partnership (LSP) Multi Academy Trust which marks an important stage in setting the course for the future direction of the school. We are excited about working alongside Backwell and Gordano Schools in making sure we provide the best possible education for all our students. In addition we are looking forward to a number of our feeder schools becoming part of the extended family in the not too distant future. My thanks go to everyone who worked so hard to make this happen. We are working alongside Lighthouse to identify how we can improve the school site which is a really important consideration for us. Students have continued to impress and I have recently received a number of communications from the public who have met our students on trips and visits and have been moved enough to let me know. Performing Arts have been busy with a super Dance Festival that I was lucky enough to attend alongside our main school production of Jesus Christ Superstar which was truly amazing. To see students from a variety of year groups working together was wonderful to see. Trips have recently taken place to local events and Bristol alongside Washington, Berlin and Salamanca. As the days get lighter we move into a season of Duke of Edinburgh and Ten Tors at the same time as we are preparing students for examinations. All of the above requires a large commitment from our staff and I would like to thank them for all of the opportunities that they offer. We have recently asked for views on the school day and we learnt much from the focus group of parents/ carers that came together for that purpose. We will hope to give further information soon. Mr Beynon

Diary Dates Mon 4th June – Term 6 begins Sun 10th June – Chew Valley 10K Thurs 8th March – School Society Social Evening, 7:30pm Mon 11th June – Learn to Code, 6pm Thurs 15th March – Year 12 Parents’ Evening 4pm - 6:30pm Fri 20th July – Term 6 ends Thurs 15th March – Drugs, Alcohol and E Safety Parents’ Mon 23rd July – Staff Inset Day Evening, 7pm Tue 24th July – Staff Inset Day Fri 23rd March – Term 4 ends Thurs 16th August – GCE Results Day Mon 9th April – Term 5 begins Thurs 23rd August – GCSE Results Day Thurs 19th April – The School Society Quiz Night, 7pm Chew Valley School Thurs 26th April – Year 7 Parents’ Evening, 4pm to 6:30pm Chew Magna Thurs 10th May – Year 8 Parents’ Evening, 4pm to 6:30pm Bristol BS40 8QB Telephone: 01275 332272 Fri 25th May – Term 5 ends Email: [email protected]

1 Poetry Live! Armed with burning curiosity and copies of their poetry anthologies, 53 of our Year 11 students descended on Bath’s historic Assembly Rooms last month for the Poetry Live! conference. The annual conference presents a unique opportunity for students to hear the poets that they are studying read aloud and discuss the poems that will be on the exams. It was a testimony to this year group’s commitment to revision that the trip was sold out in just a few days. As one of the first schools to arrive, we were able to grab front row seats in the grand Ball Room, allowing us an excellent view of the action. World renowned poets such as Imtiaz Dharker, John Agard, Carol Ann Duffy and Simon Armitage took to the stage during the day to provide insights into their poems and to discuss the inspirations and meanings behind them. Speaking to students afterwards, they found this incredibly helpful as it increased their confidence with the poems. One student commented that seeing the poems performed live helped the words come alive in a way that they don’t always do when on the page. There was particular excitement about John Agard’s famously eccentric performance of Checking Out Me History, and many students picked this out as their highlight of the day. The conference also included a session with one of the Chief Examiners, who gave invaluable insight into how to approach and comment on an unseen poem. Students found this very helpful, and left feeling much more comfortable about the challenge ahead of them. As always, this year group was a joy to spend a day with: all students who attended acted as excellent ambassadors for the school. They were attentive and respectful, made excellent notes, and some were even bold enough to ask questions of the poets themselves. Well done, Year 11! Mrs Graham-Hibbs Bugfest 2018 Bugfest was a huge success this year! Everybody was looking forward to it greatly and it definitely did not fail to impress. The leaders were fantastic and even got some of the more shy and timid students to join in and have a blast. They reassured us that we wouldn’t get hurt and that there was nothing to worry about which was good because there were certainly a few nervous faces around the room at the beginning of the session. The animals were awesome and it was lovely to get to know their species and characteristics; they were so exciting and new! Bugfest was a real treat for us all as we actually got to touch and hold the foreign creatures. Everyone got involved with something or other and it was nice to see everybody so happy and enthusiastic. The tables were ladened with boxes and cages with snakes, cockroaches, huge snails and even a giant millipede! Bugfest was unforgettable and the whole experience was incredible! Bella Pover 8W

2 National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery Art Trip A large contingent of Chew Valley Art students accompanied by Mr O’Connell, Miss Beachgood, Mrs Morris, Mrs Pearson and Ms Hutchings travelled to the capital in late January to peruse the great works of the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery. Sixth Form students also got a chance to see the annual Taylor Wessing photographic show displaying award winning, innovative and fine examples of contemporary photographic portraiture. All the students were keen to explore a range of artistic endeavour to further their studies and find inspiration for their up and coming GCSE or A Level exams. The trip was a great success with all seeing and recording images that will be put to good use over the coming weeks of exam preparation. Mr O’Connell

Big Schools’ Birdwatch 2018 A number of Chew Valley students took part in the RSPB Big Schools’ Birdwatch again this year. It is the largest wildlife survey in schools and aims to record which bird species are doing well in school grounds across the country. Last year over 2000 schools took part (including Chew Valley) providing valuable conservation data. Our school site provides a variety of habitats for birds with several ponds, plenty of trees and a wildflower meadow. Bird feeders were also put up beforehand around Lake View House. Two groups took part. The first group included students from Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 who spotted 14 different species of bird including Pied Wagtail, Coal Tit and Chaffinch. The second group comprised Year 12 Biologists who spotted 11 species including a small flock of Fieldfare. The results (including the exact numbers of each species seen by each group) were all submitted online and will now be analysed by the RSPB to compare with the results from previous years and across different parts of the UK. Thanks to all the staff and students who took part and to several members of staff who kindly loaned binoculars to aid with bird identification. Here are a few comments from some of the students who took part: “It was nice to walk around the school and see all the birds there are” Ned Gardner- Thorpe (7E) “I didn’t notice birds that much before but it was really interesting to see how many different ones there really are” Ellie-Rose Leaman (9L) “I enjoyed learning how to use the binoculars” Toby Beck (10V) Mr Mortin

3 LGBT History Month This month was LGBT History month. The theme this year was ‘Mapping the World’. The Geography Department wrote a series of lessons based on LGBT issues and have been teaching it to all of the students in Years 7, 8 and 9. We created a calendar for every tutor group in the school featuring LGBT role models and allies from around the world which has been used in tutor times to find out about these inspirational people and their work. At lunchtimes we have been showing Stonewall’s FIT and The Imitation Game which tells the incredible true story of Alan Turing. In addition to this we have been asking students what would make the world better for LGBT people. They have been creating stars which will go on display in lower school at the end of the month. Mrs Pope

Leadership Awards Launch On Wednesday 21st February we were delighted to welcome back Annie Emery, a former student of Chew Valley and Max Jeffery from Learn to Lead. Over 100 students were involved in this initial training event to introduce the skills of leadership and being involved in planning an event. Students worked in teams to come up with an idea, to plan it, to look at the logistics of implementing it and enlisting individuals to help. The day was an enormous success and both facilitators commented on our students’ engagement, enthusiasm and amazing ideas. We are looking forward to seeing the students’ outcomes as they work towards the awards which will encourage greater skills for life! Mrs Shuttleworth

4 Plastic Bottles Last Summer Jo Ruxton, the producer of the award- winning Plastic Oceans documentary, visited Chew Valley to give assemblies to all the students about the impact of plastic pollution on the ocean and on human health. Inspired to make a positive change in the school, the students formed a Plastics Change and Create Team with a mission to make the school free of disposable one use plastics. Top of the agenda was plastic water bottles. After securing the support and sponsorship of Hydroflask, we ran a competition to raise awareness of the issues surrounding this massively important issue. Students were asked to design posters that were both visually striking and informative. Judging was difficult as there were so many brilliant designs, but the winners were Lucy Hayes (Year 7), Teya Valkova (Year 9) and Amy Mellersh (Year 9). They each won a Hydroflask bottle and a bamboo toothbrush. Meanwhile the initiative is being driven forward by the students. New water fountains have been ordered and plans are being made to entirely remove plastic water bottles. Hydroflask bottles will be available to buy through the school soon at a whopping 40% discount. Watch this space. Mr Green

Chew Valley 10K T-Shirt Design Year 10 student Fergus Blyth has won this year’s competition to design a technical t-shirt for the upcoming Chew Valley 10k on Sunday 10 June at 9.30am. Fergus says he wanted to create a design with Chew Valley Lake at its centre. “I’ve really enjoyed working on the Chew Valley 10k t-shirt design as part of my Product Design GCSE coursework,” he said. “I’m hoping to enter the race this year so it’ll be great seeing my t-shirt being worn by hundreds of runners as I run.” The Chew Valley 10k is now open for entry and organisers are hoping for another successful year for the race, which is now in its 6th year and attracts almost 850 runners of all abilities, all of whom receive the free technical Chew Valley 10k t-shirt. This year the event will support two local charities, St Peter’s Hospice SW and Bloodbikes NICU Support, as well as raising money for local schools Bishop Sutton Primary School Society and Chew Valley School Society. Debbie Fortune Estate Agents will be the main sponsor for this year’s event and Joanna Tiley, Director, commented: “We are all looking forward to being part of this amazing event again and hope to see lots of local faces running. I particularly enjoy seeing local runners around the valley in their CV10k t-shirts, reminding me what a big event this has now become.” Enter now to avoid missing out on your place as every year since it began the race has sold out! Visit www.chewvalley10k.co.uk or see Facebook and Twitter @chewvalley10k for further details.

5 Dance Festival 2018 This year’s Dance Festival exhibited dancers from Year 7 through to 13, who came together once again to put on a remarkable and spirited display, truly showcasing the undeniable talent amidst the Chew Valley School students. Chew Valley School were also joined by dancers from Fae McIntyre’s classes, performing two brilliantly energetic routines including their rendition of ‘School of Rock’. The audience members were presented with a spectacular assortment of dance styles, genres and techniques, including two breathtaking solos from Year 9 student Henry Hicks and Year 12 student Josh Pilgrim. The captivating ‘Burlesque’ performed by the Chew Valley Dance Company and an outstanding trio performed by Year 8 students Erin Golledge, Tia Radforth and Lucy Vowles also wowed the crowd. Other highlights included a Musical Theatre performance of the title song from Footloose by the Year 10 GCSE Dance class and 7:9 Dance Club’s vibrant Street Dance mash-up as well as exceptional exam work from both the GCSE and A Level Dance students. I am is so thrilled with every single dancer who took part in the two nights - the commitment, hard work and aptitude of the students has filled me with immense pride. Well done Chew Valley Dancers! Miss Holt

National Apprenticeship Show The Sixth Form team took a group of Year 13 students interested in pursuing alternative routes to university to the National Apprenticeship Show in February. The event held at Westpoint Centre in Exeter provided students with the opportunity to meet a diverse number of employers, training centres and apprenticeship scheme operators. Everything from the newly launched law apprenticeships, for those wanting to become solicitors, to the vast range of opportunities at Hinckley Point were discussed. And all the students left with bags full of literature and applications as well as a deeper understanding of what is on offer from the world of work and vocational training. The Sixth Form has seen a growing number of its students opting for apprenticeships and sponsored degrees as an alternative to university in recent years and the school is very proud of its former students who have gained places on some of the country’s leading schemes, and those who have gone on to great professional success through this alternative route to university. Miss Cuff 6 Photography trip to Berlin Twenty one Art and Photography A Level students with three staff braved the sub-zero climate in Berlin over the half-term. The group led by Mr O’Connell, Miss Beachgood and Mrs Pearson flew out of sunny Luton Airport, (gateway to Europe), to a cold Berlin Schönefeld Airport to experience the sausage based cuisine of the German capital and view a range of iconic vistas. The trip included visits to Checkpoint Charlie, The Berlin Wall, a number of contemporary German galleries, the Brandenburg Gate and The Reichstag. Students were excited and thrilled by the huge 368m Fernsehturm Television Tower giving magnificent views of the city (low snow clouds allowing), and sobered by the impressive Holocaust Memorial and the heart- wrenching Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. Students negotiated the city on the U-Bahn and covered many kilometres a day on Berlin’s rapid transit railway. The trip was a great success; students enjoyed the hospitality of the capital and experienced flea markets and modern German central heating. Amidst the fun, students produced a vast amount of photographic and visual resource paintings and sketches, to aid their AS and A Level studies. Mr O’Connell Royal Shakespeare Company ‘Hamlet’ It was a very excited group of Year 12 and 13 students and staff who gathered on an extremely cold morning for a group photo by the bins at the back of school, prior to boarding the minibuses for the long drive to Plymouth. The symbolism of the setting was not lost however on our ever-alert students – even at that hour in the morning - as we compared our situation to that of arguably Shakespeare’s most famous tragic hero. Our anticipation had been whetted by two encounters already with the star of this production, Paapa Essiedu, as Steve Conway had arranged a live streaming of the play last year and the Drama students had met and worked with Paapa during a workshop in Stratford after seeing him as Edgar in ‘King Lear.’ Also, this latest Hamlet has received plaudits and accolades from the great and good of the theatre world: ‘a new star is born’ said The Telegraph; ‘a fresh prince makes his mark,’ The Guardian. Neither he - nor the production disappointed. For this is a play that is so relevant to our time in its portrayal of mental illness, complex relationships and uncertain, politically suspect landscapes. The significance also of watching the brilliance of the RSC’s first black actor to play Hamlet made the occasion even more momentous. It’s a play that will stay with us all for a long time. Here is what Ruth Hewitt had to say: “…the performance was captivating and the acting of Hamlet especially was outstanding as his whole persona never slipped, and he was very expressive and effective in presenting himself to the audience… I would recommend this to any Hamlet or Shakespeare scholar as this is definitely worth the watch and one of the best plays I’ve seen in a long while.” Mrs Clayton-Jones

7 Salamanca Trip 2018 We arrived in Salamanca late on Thursday evening, going straight to bed to be ready for the next day. We got up early on Friday and headed to the language school where we had our first lesson with Juan Jo, our teacher for the visit. During the lesson we got a lot of speaking practise discussing a range of topics from our idols to the influences of social media within society, as well as learning about, and sharing experiences, of cultural differences between our two countries. After lunch in a local restaurant we visited the Convent of San Esteban, one of Salamanca’s oldest and most historically important buildings. Its fame is due to the fact that it was the place where Christopher Columbus went to seek support for his voyage to ‘discover the new world’. The following day we went on a day trip to the cities on Segovia and Ávila which looked particularly picturesque as they were covered in snow. In Segovia we had a tour of ‘El Alcazar’, the castle that is rumoured to be the inspiration for the iconic Disney castle, as well as learning about the impressive 30m Roman aqueduct. In Ávila we were lucky enough to see a small procession as part of the carnival celebrations that were taking place and Juan Jo taught us about the Roman wall that surrounds the town. On Sunday we started the day by doing a fact finding game around Salamanca which gave us the opportunity to not only explore the city a bit more for ourselves but learn about its important historical and cultural influence; Salamanca is home to one of the oldest universities in the world. After the game we went on a bike ride along the cycle path that skirts the city which was incredibly fun! In the evening we went to the Cinema to watch ‘Coco’ in Spanish. We all agreed not only how entertaining the film was but how pleasing it was to be able to understand much of the film. The day was finished by enjoying tapas as a group with our teachers Juan Jo and Laura. Monday was sadly our last day in Salamanca. We had another lesson with Juan Jo in the morning where we spoke about family, our villages and learnt about how the regions of Spain are organised. After some free time to go shopping, as well as a trip to the market, we went to a Latin dance class which provided some hilarious moments! For tea we went to a restaurant for a meal to have a chance to say goodbye to our teachers. Finally, on Tuesday we travelled to Madrid early in the morning for a chance to spend the day in the capital before our flight home. We enjoyed the typical Spanish treat of churros as well as visiting the famous Puerta del Sol and having some free time to relax in the beautiful Retiro park. ¡Lo pasamos bomba y aprendimos mucho! Hannah Cole 12H

8 Jesus Christ Superstar Jesus Christ Superstar, Chew Valley’s latest whole school production, was performed at the end of February to four sold out audiences. The show, the most ambitious ever staged at Chew Valley School, was brought to life by a cast, crew and band of over 100 students and it certainly lived up to all of our expectations. Spanning the last week of the life of Jesus, this vibrant rock opera was performed with all the energy, enthusiasm and commitment that we have come to expect from a Chew Valley cast. Over sixty performers from Year 7 to 13 were supported by our amazing school band led by Mr Stinchcombe. Stage Managers Zoe Downey, Georgia Lindsay, Alex Rosler and Lizzie Stuckey also led a fantastic backstage team, who took on the responsibility for all of the technical aspects of this incredibly complicated and demanding show. Alex Storer took the lead, ably depicting the human side of Jesus with all his frailties and doubts. Similarly outstanding performances came from every one of the lead characters: Mia Doherty and Tasha Stewart, as Mary Magdalene, sang and acted beautifully, often moving the audience to tears; as did Kirstie Pope and Poppy Moore as the tormented Judas Iscariot, betraying his best friend. Billy Rosenthal’s rich and powerful bass was perfect for the menacing Caiaphas, a lovely contrast to Sam Thorne and Hannah Scadding who played Annas with real clarity. Ben Kenna and Ben Lindsay were both excellent as the troubled Pontius Pilate, with Tilda Hawken and Livvy Coombs (ably supported by our wonderful Superstar dancers) adding a superb comedic touch as King Herod. However, for me, the success of the show was down to the wonderful work of the ensemble. We spoke a good deal in rehearsals about the need to be a team and that came across so superbly each evening, with the spine chilling ‘Trial Before Pilate’ a real stand out moment for me. With the beautiful choreography throughout from Jess Gwyther and Miss Holt adding a real vitality to the show, it really was incredibly humbling to watch (and listen to) the amazing work that this fantastic group of students created. Every single performer, musician and crew member played their part to perfection for the good of the whole. With memorable melodies such as ‘Everything’s Alright’, ‘I Don’t Know How To Love Him’ and, of course, the iconic signature tune, in addition to Miss Budd and Chloe Payne’s film sequences the show had something for everyone and received well-deserved standing ovations from packed audiences. Congratulations to everyone involved! Mr Conway

9 Jaguar 4x4 National Finals Two teams went through to the Jaguar 4x4 National finals. They also picked up the award for innovation at the regional finals held at South Devon University Technical College. Both teams, Voltage (Daisy Bristow, Matt Jones, Callum Foskett, Callum Smith and Brandyn Lotter) and Revolution (Ben Angell, Reece Lenthall, Paul Berry, James Williams, George Sealy, Guy Denning Southern) have been working in their lunch times and after school to get the cars up and running, arrange their pit displays and work on their design portfolios and presentations. They now face the tough task of the National final where they will have to negotiate an unseen track and secret towing challenge. Ben Angell commented “It’s been really interesting raising over £500 from local businesses in sponsorship and overcoming different engineering challenges with my friends”. They are a credit to Chew Valley School and have put us on the National stage. Mr Doherty

Washington D.C. In February 2018, 8 Chew Valley History students travelled over to America’s capital, Washington D.C. During the trip we visited some of the most famous monuments from Arlington Cemetery to the White House and learnt a lot more about its personal history which will help us with our A Level/GCSE course. As there were only 8 students it meant we all got closer as a group and our late night takeaway sessions in the hotel rooms were memorable. We learnt how Americans saw their country as we walked around plenty of museums and learnt more about its culture. We also got very friendly with the citizens of Washington ourselves as many were fascinated by why we were there. Apart from all the monuments and museums we also had a bit of free time so we shopped a lot at the outlets, where we had to learn to save money rather then spend it and even visited a basketball game for the local college team. We think we even spotted the President as loads of security were driving down a road, then behind it was a Presidential car, but we’re still not sure officially sure who it was! The trip was amazing, despite the odd weather where some days it was below zero and some days it was hot and humid. It made us learn about how to use the local metro where we surprisingly never got lost or if we were nice to the front desk at the hotel, they gave us free cookies. But overall it was a memorable trip and a once in a lifetime opportunity for us at this age that we will never forgot. Louisa Hill 12V

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