NEWSLETTER December 2013 work they do in the . Learning does not begin and end at the academy gates. Our motto for this year is “getting better never stops” and we look forward to working in partnership with you to make this happen. Mrs Trusler, Principal Our new buildings We are all very pleased and excited to be in our new Summer buildings. The facilities and Examination Results environment are wonderful No doubt parents and carers are aware of our and make the academy a tremendous summer examination results, which stimulating and pleasant place placed Wilmington as the top performing non- in which to learn and flourish. selective school in . A remarkable achievement. When asked what he would Even more pleasing, perhaps, is the progress that change, Jamie Oliver in Year students made placing us in the top 4% nationally 11 said ‘nothing’ and many for the best eight results achieved by our year 11 students used the words students. Our post 16 students also did very well, ‘amazing’ and ‘awesome’ with record numbers going to University and higher during the first few days of our occupation. The education. This trend has continued this year, with an biometric system is working very well and I would even higher number of students applying to university. encourage more parents to take this up. We are delighted that our students have such high The landscaping and demolition of the old buildings aspirations and will be doing everything in our power are continuing and the new sports hall, lecture to ensure that all of our students achieve their full theatre and multi-gym should be ready by the end of potential and aim high. February. We are striving to develop our students as We have taken a few photographs to share with you. independent learners, and parents can help by More are available on our new website. encouraging students to do their homework and use the internet and other sources to find Thank you to parents, staff and our outstanding things out for themselves, above and beyond the students for the support you have given us and I wish you all a very happy and restful Christmas holiday. Mrs Trusler, Principal

The Bigger and Better LRC We now have a beautiful new space for our LRC, complete with soft seating, computers, and over 8000 books! With our non-fiction stock and senior fiction section back, as well as all our great fiction titles, we have a book for every taste and interest. Don’t forget, we also have Homework Club running every Tuesday and Thursday lunch time to provide extra support for anyone who would like it. We are also excited to be preparing for some exciting events in the New Year, so watch this space! Accelerated Reader Millionaires We have started another successful year of Accelerated Reader with 390 students on the programme. We had outstanding results for the cohorts last year, with fantastic average reading age gains across Year 7-10. We are also lucky to have three Millionaires before the end of Term 1! A Millionaire is someone who reads more than one million words through the Accelerated Reader Programme. Congratulations to Molly Plummer (M13) who read 1,251,428 words, Maria Kennett (A1) who read 1,500,776 words, and Beth Carter-Hart (M13) who read 1,304,263 words. The scheme has been hugely successful over the last two years and we would like to encourage all students to come and borrow their favourite titles to enjoy over the Christmas Break. Grammar Programme Success! Last year saw the introduction of a Grammar Programme here at the Academy, delivered by the English Faculty, to improve students’ use of punctuation, sentence structure, and parts of speech. The programme saw amazing success in its first year, with all of Year 7-9 seeing an improvement in their knowledge of grammar after quizzing at the beginning and end of the year: This year the programme will be even bigger and better than ever with the introduction of directed spelling lessons to help all students improve their spelling abilities. N. Marken Children in Need In November I dressed up as Pudsey Bear to raise money for Children in Need 2013. The students at Wilmington Academy always respond in a positive way to seeing Pudsey walking around the school site and even teaching their Maths lessons. Their generosity is overwhelming and each year the grand total that has been collected has increased. Seeing them donate their loose change to charity instead of buying a second cake at break is really rewarding and well worth the discomfort of wearing a big yellow furry costume for a day, not to mention the face paint. This year Ms Stevens and myself also ran a colouring competition and the winner was: Kacey Rankin in A4. Well done for everyone for contributing this year raising over £150.00 for a very good cause. R. Mongon Dahl-icious Dress Up! On 27th September the members of the English Faculty donned their best dress up to support Roald Dahl Day. Teachers chose their favourite (or at least easiest costume!) to wear for the day to celebrate the life of a favourite children’s writer. Activities in class included reading the biography of Roald Dahl along with fun activities like ‘Guess the Character’. This all linked beautifully with the Year 7 scheme of work “Me, Myself and I” in which Year 7 students study a range of chapters from Dahl’s autobiography: “Boy”. B. Jones

Horticulture News In January we are taking a group of year 10 students to Wisley Gardens in Surrey. They will be working behind the scenes learning pruning and grafting techniques with experts from the Wisley team. This will be a great opportunity for the students and will count towards their final grade in Horticulture. We have received our first plants from the R.H.S which we will need to carefully grow and nurture ready for next year’s Chelsea Flower show. Maybe we will be lucky enough to exhibit them at the show next year as we have in the past two years. We have so far won a silver medal and a silver gilt medal so next year we are going for gold! We also managed to produce around 30 jars of honey from our beehives this year which were enjoyed by both staff and students. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you if you have sent in any Morrison’s Let’s Grow vouchers. They have enabled us to get some much needed equipment and all for free! This is a great boost to the horticulture department’s resources. L. Burke

Year 7 Girls Football Wilmington Academy 1 Mayfield for Girls 0 The Year 7 girls’ football team kicked off their season with a 5 aside game against for Girls. As a new and emerging team the girls were hopeful of a good performance and they didn’t disappoint. Straight from kick off they dominated play with some lovely passing and pressure on the opposition. It didn’t take long for Rosie Nobbs to intercept a pass and dribble past the defenders before calmly passing the ball past the Mayfield keeper and putting the girls 1-0 up. The girls maintained the pressure in the second half and defended well with some good saves from goalkeeper Sofiyah Tawakalitu–Balogun. An excellent result for the girls and they should all be very proud. M. Slater Dartford and Gravesham Cross Country Competition On Thursday 21st November Wilmington Academy took a team of Year 7, 8 and 9 boys and girls to the Dartford and Gravesham Cross Country Competition, hosted by The Leigh Technology Academy. With the top four runners in each team scoring points for their school, the results were as follows:

Year 7 Girls Top 4: Other Team Members Ines Cheriot Kate Parns (12th) Demi Willets (17th) Molly Shore Molly Plummer Lily Shore (27th) Isabelle Ray (32nd) Nicole Knowles

Year 7 Boys Top 4: Other Team Members Tom Denyer-Vickers (6th) Jack Kelly Freddie Goulter (21st) David Ponari Alec Gleeson (22nd) Lily Shore (27th) Freddie Corden (33rd) Nicole Knowles

Year 8 and 9 Girls: Rebecca Holloway (28th)

Year 8 and 9 Boys Top 4: Other Team Members Max Taylor (11th) Matt Ray Ollie Anderson (26th) Scott Pagett Bradley Brazier (36th) Ben Brewster (55th) Congratulations to all pupils who took part in what were extremely difficult conditions. M. Slater

Post 16 Christmas Night In Christmas is here! On Wednesday 4th December the Post-16 department held a “Christmas Night In” event to help raise money for their new common room. Students, parents and staff gathered to enjoy a selection of Christmas-themed nibbles, drinks and watch a film on the big screen. The event raised over £100 and helped kick-start a series of fund-raising events which the Post-16 team are holding over the festive period. Huge thanks to those that came along and supported us, and special mention to Sean and Mrs King who also generously donated some garden furniture for the Post-16 centre. R. Roberts Dartford and Gravesham District Duathlon On Tuesday 15th October, Wilmington Academy took 10 students to the first annual Dartford and Gravesham Duathlon, at the Cyclopark, returning home with 3 awards. Toni West collected a bronze medal after finishing 3rd in the girls under 13 event, whilst the under 13 boys finished 3rd in the team event, and the under 15 boys 2nd. The Teams: U15 Boys U13 Boys U13 Girls Jude Arthurs Nahum Kilbane Jade Vallins Bradley Brazier Leszek Redlicki Toni West Max Taylor Ryan Nalder Ollie Anderson Callum Wilkins

Results: U15 Boys – 2nd U13 Boys – 3rd Toni West 3rd in Girls individual Special Thanks to The Leigh Technology Academy for running the event on the day! I. Priest Bugsy Malone – Drama This year’s school production is up and running. Students are working hard, rehearsing and planning. This year’s show will be a mixture of splurge guns, American accents, a few gangsters and several songs. Rehearsals are taking place every Monday and Wednesday lunchtime and Monday and Thursday after school. The show is coming together really well and this is all due to the dedication of the students involved. Dates of the production will be announced on our website along with details of how to obtain tickets. J. Cringle License to Kill In order to promote safety on the roads with all of our young people who can drive or who are learning, a group of Year 12 students attended the hard hitting ‘License to Kill’ road show organized by Kent Emergency services. The show was emotionally challenging and gave a true message about the importance of young people being safe on the roads. ‘Licence to kill’ is an innovative theatre education project which explores the circumstances and consequences of a road traffic crash. Aimed at 16 to 18 year olds in Kent and Medway, a film of a crash in the local area has been specially recreated. As the drama unfolds and the emergency services arrive on the scene, the faces on film literally step onto stage. Pausing the film for a moment, they speak to the audience about their experiences, the reactions of the driver and passengers, the medical implications and how seeing such trauma affects them personally. Since 2007, around 35,000 sixth formers have seen the production and it has won a gold award from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, as well as a national ‘Learning on Screen’ award from the British Universities Film and Video Council. (www.licencetokill.org) “The License to Kill trip was an eye opener. It was really emotional and informative. We all came out of it with a better idea on road safety and showed us that we have to be very aware of other drivers. We all think that everyone should see it as our opinions have been changed for the better since seeing it.” Amber Eley and Chantay Dunsdon. R. Roberts Dartford and Gravesham District Cross Country Results Year 7 Girls Team Result Year 7 Boys Team Result Pos School Scorers Overall Pos School Scorers Overall score score 1 DGGS 2, 4, 5, 6 17 1 WGSB 2, 3, 8, 9 22 2 Oxted 1, 3, 11, 14 29 2 1, 4, 5, 14 24 3 WGSG 6, 15, 18, 21 60 3 Wilmington Academy 6, 21, 2, 33 82 4 Leigh Academy 10, 13, 16, 26 65 4 Thamesview 7, 13, 44, 44 108 5 Wilmington Academy 12, 17, 27, 32 88 5 Longfield Academy 17, 34, 39, 42 132 6 Meopham 24, 25, 30, 49 128 6 25, 27, 41, 44 137 7 Longfield Academy 29, 31, 34, 41 135 7 St Georges 15, 35, 44, 44 138 8 St Georges 28, 33, 49, 49 159 8 Meopham 18, 32, 44, 44 138 9 Orchards Academy 38, 46, 40, 47 171 9 Gravesend Grammar 19, 44, 44, 44 151 10 DSTC 39, 44, 49, 49 181 10 Oasis Hextable 43, 44, 44, 44 175 11 Oasis Hextable 42, 49, 49, 49 189 Wilmington Academy Year 11 Football v St Georges The year 11-football team had a great result against St George’s winning 5-2. The football being played was reminiscent of the great Barcelona. The passing, movement and pressure put on St George’s was constant during the first half. There were a few tired legs in the second half which showed as the away team scored two goals making it 4 – 2 but we were calm and kept our heads scoring a goal in the final minutes, making it 5-2. The team’s performance was fantastic and the attacking displays of Charlie Frankland and Gary Mulgrew were commendable. Year 11 Academy Football Team Mitchell Gosbee Jack Glander Callum Port Callan Ireland-Riches George Donovan (Capt.) Brandon Dehal Jamie Oliver Lewis Brogden Mason Warden Gary Mulgrew Charlie Frankland Tom Mills Nathan McCarthy I. Priest Skills London 2013 On Friday 22nd November 2013, 106 Post 16 students attended the Skills London 2013 careers event at the London Excel Centre. Over 150 exhibitors, including top employers, colleges, advisors and other training providers, were there to provide information and guidance to our students and 30,000 other young people. “We went to the London Skills Show to give the 6th formers an insight into the types of careers that were available in all the fields we were interested in. It also offered an opportunity for recruitment, in the form of apprenticeships with different companies that were there. As it was an exhibition there were many interactive stands offering games, freebies and competitions to make their business more enticing. Personally I entered a competition to win an iPad Mini, at a stand for a worldwide finance company. To then win was a very unexpected and a massive surprise.” Flori Catling, Post 16 Student The event, supported by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, gave students the opportunity to explore alternative and varied career paths, different from those they had previously considered. Students were given the opportunity to speak with potential employers; a valuable experience which allowed them to gain appreciation of what is available to them after they finish school. The day proved to be an interesting experience and opened the eyes of many students looking to take their next steps after education. M Hellyer Year 7’s get into the Christmas Spirit Tuesday 10th December saw the whole of Year 7 attending and participating in the Carol service at St Michaels and All Angels, Wilmington to sing Carols, and hear readings, with the choir taking part with a presentational song. What a lovely way to bring the Christmas season to life, and an event enjoyed by all.

Music Video Filming Workshop The sixth form Music students had a fantastic opportunity in October as part of their Music Video Production unit. Their day was spent at Village Studios, Bexley, working with a professional photographer and videographer to learn about and experiment with lighting for their Music Videos. They received a lighting workshop, and then were able to use the studio and all lighting equipment to record large parts of their coursework, to a professional quality standard. All students involved found it an invaluable experience, and were truly grateful for the chance to explore this vocational environment. Violin, Saxophone and Clarinet Lessons Would you like your child to learn the Violin, Saxophone or Clarinet? Would you like them to have the chance to try these out in a group before having individual lessons? We are offering 10 group lessons from January, during lunchtime for between 3-6 students for each instrument at a cost of £5/lesson. Those interested should request a letter from Mrs Lowe. R. Lowe

Meteor Event On Monday 16th December 2013 between 6.00 - 8.00 pm, astronomers from the Crayford Manor House Astronomical Society joined with us at Wilmington Academy to kindly give our students and their families the opportunity to view the night sky using their super-dooper telescopes. We had a really great time as the skies were clear and as well as seeing the odd meteor streaking across the skies (from the tail end of the Geminids Meteor Shower). We also got to see Jupiter’s Great Red Spot and the Galilean Moons. Many of our visitors had never seen the Moon quite so clearly either and were impressed that they could see some of the mountain ranges in great detail. So despite this being the end of the International Year of Astronomy, we are pleased to announce the start of our own Astronomy Club. After the winter break, we will be meeting after school on Monday nights to study the planets, stars and the universe in general. If you would like to know more please check out our website, where there is a wealth of information on what to look for in the night sky over holidays, plus what local astronomy events are taking place. Any questions please do not hesitate to contact me on [email protected] K. Oliver MINERVA SPOTLIGHT Head of College “Education is the most powerful weapon that you can use to change the world” – Nelson Mandela 1918 – 2013 It is fair to say that Wilmington Academy has had its share of change at the start of this academic year. People deal with change in many ways. However, I would like to personally thank both staff and students for their attitude during this transitional period. As Head of College, I have noticed a clear shift in students’ attitudes, expectations and aspirations. The new building provides our students with the opportunity to demonstrate their excellence and build on the community spirit in areas, such as the outstanding library. The motto for Minerva is “Believe in yourself”. Our values and principles of education are that every student is capable of achieving their potential and that if students have a “can do” attitude then success will come their way. I am also pleased to report that I have had numerous positive comments from staff, parents and students regarding how standards have been raised, the purposeful learning climate, uniform and general buzz of the academy. This also emphasised by the best attendance that Minerva has ever achieved at 94%. We are very much an inclusive and collaborative school and I wanted to share the spotlight with the thoughts of our Assistant Principal, Student Service Managers and Head Girl. Michael Gore, Head of College Assistant Principal We have had a positive start to the year, building on the success of 2012/13. However, in order to maintain the focus on developing the whole person we have implemented a more rigorous pastoral programme, to promote students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The weekly programme provides opportunities for discussion, reflection and action. For example, this module focuses on the work of the Red Cross with students exploring the impact of their work all over the world. I am really pleased with the way that students have engaged with this work, particularly the groups who have been inspired to do some charity work. I wish them luck with their efforts and hope that you will support their chosen causes. The programme also includes a ‘fun’ session, during which students can have a quiz, play board games or simply bond with others in their tutor group. If you have any unwanted ‘quick’ games at home that you could donate, they would be gratefully received. Finally, we have the first of our Action Days on Monday 20thJanuary. For parents of Year 7 students, this means the timetable is suspended, for Year 7-9 only, and students participate in enrichment activities, which complement and enhance the curriculum. T. Salih, Assistant Principal Student Service Managers We are new Student Service Managers to Minerva, although we have worked here at Wilmington Academy for many years we are now getting to know the Minerva Students more in-depth. We are very impressed with the wonderful smart uniforms and how focused the students are and ready to learn. One of our main focuses is on attendance and we strive to have a great working relationship with both the students and parents to ensure excellent attendance and student attainment. We have now moved over to our wonderful new building with its ultra-modern facilities. We look forward to working with our students and supporting them through their learning journey. T. Penkert & S. Duff

Head Girl A lot of things have happened at Wilmington Academy since September. The most obvious of these being the new build! We have finally moved into our new building and it is amazing! We have a new canteen, new classrooms and new spaces. The canteen now is spacious and a great place to go and eat lunch. I love it and I know that a lot of people also do. With the new build, students’ behaviour is already starting to improve as well as punctuality and attendance. As well as this, in October, a group of students from Wilmington, including me, went to Westminster Abbey to attend the Harvest Festival Service. Our catering students created a box to represent the Academy containing food cooked by them, which was made from produce grown from Horticulture students. It was seen by people such as Damien Lewis, Martin Clunes, chefs like Rosemary Shrager, Hairy biker Dave Myers, Greg Wallace and more! We even saw the fantastic Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cornwall. Overall it was a brilliant day and Rosemary Shrager even seemed interested by our beetroot brownies! Finally, I believe that Wilmington Academy has improved greatly since September and look forward to the rest of the upcoming year. The new build has contributed to this in many ways and I can tell that lots of students are enjoying it. Thank you for reading and I hope you have a wonderful Christmas. Shannon Randall

I would like to finish our section, by thanking the students, staff and parents for a great start to the academic year and would like to wish you all a merry Christmas and we look forward to another record breaking year in 2014. Michael Gore, Head of College AP☼LLO SPOTLIGHT ‘Wow!’ We have finally made it into the first phase of our new build programme, and it is my pleasure to say that the Apollo students now have the facilities they deserve. The students have responded magnificently to the new building and we have had great feedback about the students from many of the visitors we have had over the past two weeks. We are already looking forward to next year and the challenges it brings. One of our key priorities is good attendance. Apollo attendance is currently 94.2%, which is above national average, but is below our target of 95%. I would like to say thank you for all the parental support in encouraging students to maintain high attendance figures. Let’s push on to reach 95% or higher! In Apollo, our aim is for every student to achieve his or her full potential. We believe that Wilmington Academy is a preparation for further study and working life for which a strong work ethic and high standards are essential. I am happy to report that during the daily learning walks carried out by SLT we have seen some excellent work produced by our students, both individually and in groups. This is also true of our assemblies, where every form group takes an assembly during the year. I am constantly impressed by the calibre of the students’ presentations and the respect and maturity shown by all during assemblies, particularly when dealing with emotive or sensitive topics. Next year is a very important year for all of our students, but particularly for our Key Stage 4 and 5 students as they approach their examinations. Please can you check the website regularly for any revision sessions that are being delivered, as they can play a significant role in helping students achieve the highest grades. We deliver a very comprehensive programme at Wilmington, and as ever, we appreciate any support you can give in encouraging attendance at these sessions. I cannot emphasise strongly enough the role they can play in preparing students for their GCSEs and A Levels. On behalf of all the Apollo staff, I would like to wish you all a relaxing and enjoyable Christmas break and a very successful 2014. P Devlin, Head of College

Key Dates Friday 20th December 2013 Christmas Break Monday 6th January 2014 Module 3 begins. Whole school back Thursday 16th January 2014 Year 7 Parents’ Evening Thursday 30th January 2014 Post 16 Parents’ Evening Thursday 13th February 2014 End of Module 3 Friday 14th February 2014 Inset Day (No students in school)

Wilmington Academy Common Lane, Wilmington, Dartford, Kent DA2 7DR 01322 272 111 | www.wilmingtonacademy.org.uk All text and images © Wilmington Academy 2013 Newsletter design by Toby @ Genobi Ltd | www.genobi.net