The Eagle p Issue 88 – June 2019

Dear Parents/Carers

As we move into the last half term of the academic year 2018-19, we are in the midst of the exam season. I would like to thank all of our Year 11 students for their hard work in preparing for their exams and wish them Key School Dates good luck for the future. I look forward to celebrating their efforts and achievements on the Leavers’ Day, at the Year 11 Prom and, ultimately, at the GCSE Results Day in August. I would also like to thank all of the staff who have organised extra sessions every evening, Saturday mornings and throughout the school 14th June 2019 holidays to support our students in their preparation for their exams. We have a very busy half term ahead of us as we look forward to Celebration Evening, Sports Day, the Year 7-10 Annual Year 11 Prom and a number of induction events for our new Year 7 starters in September. As we go in to the Reports Home last half term, I would just like to remind every parent/carer of the school’s expectations concerning parent/carer interactions with staff, whether it be verbal communication, face-to-face communication or 17th-21st June 2019 written communication. There have been an increasing number of parents/carers using threatening Year 9 PPEs behaviour, inap propriate language and inappropriate demands made towards school staff. There is no place for this in our school community. nd 2 July 2019 It may not be possible for a member of staff to speak with you or meet with you without an appointment Year 11 Prom due to the teaching demands of a staff member. A parent/carer should not be abusive or threatening towards any employee at Culcheth High School. This is unacceptable. If this occurs, then the parent/carer will be rd subject to conditions for future school visits and communications. Although these incidents are still relatively 3 July 2019 rare, there has been an increasing prevalence in the last few months. Our school values are respect, honesty Year 6 Induction and excellence and we should expect all members of our school community to uphold them at all times. I will Evening (Parents) be writing to parents in September to reiterate these expectations and the consequences of these inappropriate behaviours towards school staff. 4th July 2019 Mr C P Hunt, Headteacher Year 6 Induction Day (Students)

Sponsorship Success – Culcheth in the Community, Year 9 9th July 2019

Sports Day

Year 9 student Luis Murphy is one step closer to fulfilling his goal of becoming a professional circuit racer, after recently gaining sponsorship. th 10 July 2019 Luis has been interested in circuit racing all of his life, and got his first motorbike when he was five. This Celebration Evening latest sponsorship deal means that Luis now receives regular professional training, and he is a member of

Preston and District’s Motorcycle Club. Luis is also looking forward to watching the races at this year’s Isle of th Man TT, before preparing for his next race in this year’s season. We wish Luis every success, and look 12 July 2019 forward to hearing more about his training and competitions. Year 9 PPE Results

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Monday Week 2

10th June 2019

th 24 June 2019

8th July 2019

Publication Dates

12th July 2019

Netball Residential Visit to Condover

It’s been a very busy

On Friday 10th May, the PE department took the netball teams back to Condover Hall to compete against other schools’ teams from across the UK. We took two Year 7 teams, and one team from each other year group through to Year 10. After an exciting Friday evening engaging with the activities available, the girls were up bright and early for breakfast, ready for a full day of fixtures. Year 7 team 1 went through the day unbeaten, making it into the Cup Competition on Sunday, while Year 7 team 2 made it into the Plate Competition having faced tougher opposition. Year 8 finished the Saturday in second place in their initial group stage, making their way into the Year 8 cup; Year 9 finished their group in 3rd place , also making it to the Year 9 Cup Competition for Sunday. Year 10 played in one league and also finished the Saturday unbeaten. This put the girls in high spirits ready for the activities on offer Saturday evening, making the most of the disco, high ropes and many other exciting events being run by JCA staff. The staff quiz was underway and, with the adults proving to be just as competitive as the students, we are pleased to say our staff finished in second place, enjoying rounds in musicals (thanks Miss Longden) and superheroes. After a much better night’s sleep, the teams were up early again, ready to go out and win some trophies in the glorious sunshine. Year 7 team 1 made it to the final of the Cup Competition, narrowly losing to Lady Margaret 4-3 in a tense final. Year 7 team 2 managed a third place finish in their Plate Competition, a fantastic record for their first time at the tournament. Year 8 had a thrilling day of games on Sunday, facing some really strong competition from school and club teams. They unfortunately just missed out on a place in the final, losing their last game, resulting in a third place finish overall. Year 9 had games against two club teams on Sunday, needing to win both to make the final; they drew one and lost the second, again finishing third place overall. Year 10 were in a strong starting position on Sunday and managed to win their opening games, leading to a tense game against the other unbeaten side in their league - Netball Club. Facing them in their penultimate game, the girls unfortunately lost 16-5, but came back and won their final game finishing the Year 10 league in second place overall. A fantastic weekend was had by all and every single player in attendance improved their game and standard of play, developing their knowledge of the game as well as their practical abilities. A very big thank you and well done to all in attendance for their fantastic effort and attitude all weekend.

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Parking Around School School Uniform 2018-19

A note for parents who drive students to school and use the Please be advised that from September 2018, girls’ socks should school car park, Avenue and Culcheth Hall Drive. be of a length whereby they are unable to wear them above the If you drop your child off or collect them from school, please use knee. Knee high socks turned down are not deemed acceptable. A the drop-off bay in the school car park or, if using Withington full updated version of the school uniform guidelines is on the Avenue or Culcheth Hall Drive: school website. - Please drive slowly – children are crossing to and from The rest of the school uniform for 2018-19 has not changed in the ginnel essence, however there are a number of points that parents/carers - Please park considerately so that driveways are not need to be aware of:

blocked and grass verges are not damaged. 1. The ‘School Shoe Guidance’ that remains applicable for - Please do not use residents’ driveways to turn September 2018 is contained in this newsletter and is - Please do not use the Primary School Car Park available on the school website, along with the 2018-19

uniform statement. School Gates 2. Students in Years 7 through to 10 must wear school ‘clip- on’ ties from September 2018. 3. Year 11 students can still wear their regular ties, A reminder to all parents/carers that the school gates open at however replacement ties are now ‘clip-on’ ties only, as 8am. Students arriving on site before 8am will be unable to enter stock of regular ties has now run out. the school site.

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Music Showcase

April was host to the Spring Music Showcase. The concert involved the many school ensembles and a number of soloists. As always, the students held their nerve and stunned the audience with the plethora of musical talent from violin duets to vocal soloists. It is important to add that the sound and lighting was all student led for the evening. A big well done to everyone involved. As well as being a very happy occasion, it was also sad, as it was the last concert for our Year 11 students. I would like to say a huge thank you for all their contributions to the Music department over the last five years. Our next Music Concert will be in October this year. Hope to see you there for what promises to be another fantastic event.

National Chamber Orchestra

As part of the Making Music Visual Project, Culcheth High School hosted an interactive workshop with the National Chamber Orchestra. Culcheth High School was joined by other Secondary and Primary Schools from across . The workshop offered students the opportunity to hear their music performed, which they had composed in earlier workshops run by the NCO. Students are continuing to write music in the coming workshops. These will culminate in a concert at the Parr Hall on Tuesday 16th July where the music composed by students at Culcheth High School will be combined with dance and visual arts from other Warrington schools.

Culcheth High School’s Very Own Shakespearean Ball

On the 4th and 5th April, Culcheth High School’s very own ‘Masquerade Ball’ took place. Year 7 students showcased their creativity and individuality by producing their own Romeo and Juliet inspired mask. Having just studied the play, we held a ‘Masquerade Ball’ in celebration. In Shakespeare’s famous play, the Capulets (Juliet’s family) held a ball where the guests had to cover their faces with masks. This scene was important; it was the first time the young lovers met. One of our favourite lessons on this topic was re- enacting the play. After this lesson, the students were told that they had a chance to have fun and take part in the ball. During this eventful English lesson, the Year 7s sashayed across the English corridor’s ‘catwalk’ while displaying their talent for modelling. From enchanting creatures to elegant Shakespearean masks, the designs were covered in glitter, feathers and eye- catching hues. They really were a sight to behold! Thanks go to all who took part and we can’t wait for next year’s showcase! It was a day to remember for all involved.

UN World Environment Day

The theme of this year’s UN World Environment Day on 5th June was air pollution. The Key Stage 3 Geography club marked the event by joining millions of people across the

world and designing air pollution masks. The students decorated their masks and added a slogan about air pollution. They learned that nine out of ten people breathe polluted air, and other facts about the damaging effects of air pollution. This photograph

of them wearing their masks was shared on social media on the 5th June using the hashtag #worldenvironmentday.

PPEERRSSOONNAALL DDEEVVEELLOOPPMMEENNTT

Warrington Youth Service MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK 2019

The 13th – 19th May was National Mental Health Awareness Week 2019, and this year the focus was on Body Image. Unfortunately, the way our young people view themselves (and other people/celebrities, especially on social media) is increasingly concerning! As a school, we decided to tackle the issue of negative body image, and promote body confidence because so many young people aged 11 to 16 have concerns about how they look. This could be the result of going through puberty, comparing photos on social networks, seeing photos of ‘perfect’ appearances in advertisements, or any combination of these and other factors in today’s society. Research has shown that when young people lack body confidence, it can lead to:  poorer classroom participation and performance  poorer mental and physical health  opting out of basic life activities like going to the doctor, joining a sports team or club, or even giving an opinion in class For these reasons, Culcheth High School ran the ‘BE REAL Confidence Campaign’ in school to encourage students to be more comfortable in their own skin, and be more confident with how they look. By supporting body confidence throughout our school, we hope to boost our students’ mental and physical health, and give them the best chance to be as successful as they can at school. The campaign involved a mixture of classroom teaching and whole-school practices, such as making sure appearance-related teasing is not tolerated;  Mrs Shaw and the Youth Health Champions delivered the assemblies to Years 7-9, to highlight to students the fact that most of us care about how we look (which is totally normal), but some of us develop a very negative self-image for various reasons - which can be damaging.  In Tutor Time, all students watched BBC One Celebrity Podcasts; ranging from the pressure on boys to look good, Love Island debates, and the use of filters, to what men really think about fake beauty, being teased for being hairy, and how Instagram isn’t real life.  Students were then asked to record a confidence-boosting tip to be displayed around school.  The Warrington Youth Service minibus was also in school on the Wednesday with a range of activities and a plethora of advice aimed at engaging our young people in thinking about how they can be more comfortable in loving the skin they are in! There is a useful short guide to body confidence for parents and guardians, which you can find below and you can also find out more about the Be Real Campaign by visiting berealcampaign.co.uk. If you have any concerns about your child, or want to find out more about our campaign, please get in touch with your child’s tutor or our body confidence champion, Mrs Shaw (Head of PSHE).

FFOOCCUUSS OONN SSPPOORRTT

Tennis and Cross Country Sports Leaders – Supporting the Community

Thank you to our Tennis Leaders and Cross Country Leaders who helped out at the local inter-school events at Culcheth Sports Club on Wednesday 15th May and Culcheth Primary School on Tuesday 21st May. The events hosted a number of our primary feeder schools, where our leaders helped to provide great experiences for some of our future students. As a result of their hard work on the day, the tennis sports leaders have been asked to return to support the Warrington Finals in July.

Football Final Heartache

Despite reporting in the last edition that both the Year 10 and Year 8 teams had qualified for the end of season play-off finals, it turned out that the correction of an incorrectly reported result meant that our Year 8s actually only finished in third place, therefore missing out on their final. However, we still had a chance of glory with the Year 10s, who played their final against on Wednesday 15th May at the Culcheth Sports Club. The game was a very tight affair throughout with Penketh, who probably just shaded the play in the first half, going into half time with a 1-0 lead. But a rousing team talk from Mr Owens inspired a fantastic second half performance from the boys, who dominated play and pinned back Penketh into their own territory for the large majority of the half. Never the less, we entered the final five minutes of the game still trailing 0-1, and the stage was set for someone to step up and take responsibility. In the dying minutes of the game, a desperate last ditch tackle from the Penketh centre half saw us awarded a penalty, and the chance to draw level. Up stepped substitute Drew Bowers, to coolly slot the ball into the bottom left hand corner of the net, and send the crowd wild! It looked like another fantastic 2019 football comeback may be on the cards, and we continued to dominate the match into extra time. However, during a rare foray into our penalty area, Penketh got a shot away at our goal, and despite what looked like a fantastic goal line clearance, the referee awarded Penketh the goal, and we were back to chasing the lead. Despite their very best efforts, the boys just ran out of time in their efforts to secure a second equaliser, and the game ended with Penketh as 2-1 victors.

Attendance Update

Another half term gone! Friday 24th May was the end of our fifth half term out of six. We still have a very impressive 133 students in Years 7-10 with 100% attendance from the start of the school year in September. This is an increase on the 122 students we had at the same point last year and is an impressive number of students. More good news is that the whole school attendance has remained at 95.5% for the last 12 weeks. We will work hard to try and increase this in the last half term. Special mention should be made to Year 11 students; there are 36 students with 100% attendance for the school year. This is increase on last year when there were 31 students. In addition, six of these 36 students have 500% attendance (a mathematical impossibility, but humour us!). Not one day off school in five years! We will name the students in the next newsletter and celebrate this amazing achievement with them at Celebration Evening in July. The POP Chart continues to be very competitive. The tables below shows the variety of winners and there are photographs of Ms McGregor’s tutor group, 7M, Highest Climbers for fortnight ending 24th May and Mrs Crooke’s tutor group, 8U, Top of the Pops for Half Term 5 with an impressive 97.8%. Tutor groups win a box of chocolates or sweets as the half termly reward. At the end of the school year, we hope to be congratulating record numbers of our students – if your child does not get a congratulatory letter, please encourage them for the next academic year. It’s never too late to improve!

Top of the Pops, Summer. Half Term 5 Highest Climber, Summer. Half Term 5 7I, MISS BROCK 7T, MISS LEPETIT 8U, MRS CROOKES 8I, MRS CORE 9H, MISS JOHNSON 9T, MRS O’TOOLE 10H, MRS SHAW 10M, MR BOLTON 11H, MRS MORTIMORE 11A, MISS TYERS

th th Top of the Pops, Fortnight ending 24 May Highest Climber, Fortnight ending 24 May 7I, MISS BROCK 7M, MS McGREGOR 8A, MS COOKSON 8M, MISS HARRISON 9H, MISS JOHNSON 9M, MISS KEENAN 10H, MRS SHAW 10N, MR HEATON 11H, MRS MORTIMORE 11A, MISS SHAWCROSS

Horse-Riding at Croft Riding Centre Year 7 Gymnastic Success

As part of our Pupil Premium initiative at Culcheth High School, ten I am representing Great Britain in the World Gymnaestrada in Year 7 students have been selected to participate in a ten-week Austria 2019 and have been practising my dance for nearly a year, course of horse riding lessons, at Croft Riding Centre. The activity in preparation. I have already represented Great Britain in started on Friday 26th April and will run until Friday 5th July. Helsinki. The lessons are one hour long and consist of thirty minutes’ I have also won lots of competitions all over the North West riding time and thirty minutes’ stable time. None of the students and won the ‘age 12 category’, level 5. has ridden before and they are thoroughly enjoying the experience. I have been doing gymnastics for eight years and I practise for The lessons are a great opportunity, one the students will 21 hours per week. I want a career in gymnastics; either remember for a long time; they have grown in confidence and performing or coaching. ability already. Ella Wall, 7Y

Evidence-Informed Teaching

In 2013, The British Educational Research Association (BERA), conducted an inquiry into the role of research in teaching practice and teacher education. The vision that culminates from the report is one of a “research-rich, self-improving education systems across the UK, systems in which evidence informs practice and policy, and in which teachers and the wider educational research and policy communities work together to deliver the best outcomes for learners” (BERA-RSA, 2013). This inquiry highlights the necessity for teachers and school leaders to bridge the gap between engaging with existing educational research and engaging in research, typically referred to as ‘Action Research’. Instilling evidence-informed teaching is critical to an effective professional development programme. This is deeply rooted in the evidence that highly performing schools induct their teachers in the use, assessment and application of research findings, leading to schools that are research-rich environments. The use and development of relevant research should be embedded at every level (BERA- RSA, 2013). This includes teaching assistants, pastoral teams, trainee teachers and those teachers who have many (many!) years’ worth of teaching already under their belt. Everyone who contributes to teaching and learning in school should gain a thorough understanding of why engaging in research is an important part of improving their practice. The DfE standard for teachers’ professional development (2016) has made some headway in addressing this with the notion that ‘professional development should be underpinned by robust evidence and expertise, including collaboration and expert challenge’ (TDT, 2017). At Culcheth High School, we are on a journey to embed and instil evidence-informed practice at all levels and giving our staff time to engage with research, through our extended professional development sessions has been key to its success. Our #AlwaysLearning sessions provide explicit opportunities for our colleagues to collaborate with each other, to actively engage with evidence and research and to work outside of their comfort zones by trialling interventions within their practice that are underpinned by evidence and research. Our ‘Lesson Study’ approach to peer-observation ensures that engagement with evidence and research is purposeful and used in a way that informs practice. This also supports a critical focus on student learning. Despite this, we have not yet perfected the art of ‘evidence-informed’ practice. As a forward-thinking school, we are always looking at ways we can improve. However, we have made a lot of progress towards this vision. We pride ourselves on giving teachers the autonomy they deserve to explore, collaborate and innovate and engaging with evidence to enhance practice gives us the freedom and confidence to do this.