Year 7 HAVE ARRIVED! See Page 7
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Bedford Highlights Academy News and Views from Bedford Academy Autumn 2014 Year 7 HAVE ARRIVED! See page 7 Inside this issue: • Focus on Year 7 • Spotlight on Reading • Sky Sports Studio Trip Welcome A message from Bedford Academy Principal, Mrs Smith. The students have had another busy term taking part in a wide variety of events and activities which have enhanced their academic learning. September marked a major milestone in Bedford Academy’s history when we became a secondary school and welcomed Years 7 and 8 for the first time. As you will see from the numerous articles in this newsletter, they have settled in well and have enjoyed being involved in an array of diverse activities from zorbing and sailing, to researching the lives of local soldiers who served in WW1 and creating rainbows in test tubes during science! At the Academy we believe it is important that we offer students opportunities to widen their cultural experience and social skills. We also recognise the importance of ensuring our students are prepared for life after school and provide a high quality careers education and support service. You can read about the comprehensive extent of their work on pages 14-15. Reading, writing and numeracy skills lie at the heart of everything we do and are essential across all subjects at every level. At Bedford Academy we encourage reading at every opportunity and the “Spot Light on Reading” feature within this edition of the newsletter gives top tips in helping to develop an interest in reading. We all have our part to play in providing the very best education that we can for young people and I urge parents to encourage students to read at home. It doesn’t matter what it is, as long as something is being read. When reading becomes second nature, everything else follows. Happy holiday wishes to you all. Mrs Smith, Principal. Vanda Wins Bronze at the Royal Commonwealth Essay Competition! Congratulations are due to Vanda Vilarigues, who has won the Bronze Award in the Senior category of the Royal Commonwealth Society Essay Competition 2014! This annual essay competition gives young people from diverse backgrounds a platform to express their views about the world and their dreams for the future. Participants demonstrate their ability to stimulate and provoke discussions about important issues like (but not limited to) poverty, sustainable development, gender inequality, child labour and universal education. For 131 years, the Commonwealth Essay Competition has inspired thousands of young writers from all over the world. Run by the RCS, this international schools’ writing contest – the world’s oldest and largest – is a highly regarded and popular international education project. This year the Royal Commonwealth Society received more than 9,500 entries from over 500 schools in 44 Commonwealth countries and territories. Vanda’s award winning essay was in answer to the topic ‘What part does competition play in people’s daily lives?’ 02 Highlights - Autumn 2014 News Year 12 Get Behind Chelsea’s Choice the Wheel! On Wednesday November 12th Bedford Academy was lucky At the beginning of term the enough to have the drama group AlterEgo come in to deliver Xccelerate Driving Programme the production ‘Chelsea’s Choice’, highlighting the very serious visited the Academy, giving and emotional issue of child sexual exploitation.- Head Boy some students the opportunity The play told the story of a group of three A member of Bedfordshire Police Sexual to experience what’s involved in students who discover the diary of a girl called Exploitation Abuse Unit was on hand to learning to drive. Chelsea. Chelsea was a young girl who, having answer any questions from them and point Year 12 student Lucja said of the day: fallen out with her friends and family, was out the variety of places available for advice “The Xccelerate Driving Programme was approached by a man called Gary. Gary was and help. The production unpacked, analysed fantastic as it gave us a clear insight of what older, owned a car, had a flat and treated her and then served to illustrate the many forms driving is really all about! The experience like an adult. Unfortunately Gary was not what that exploitation can have and highlighted the was incredible as we were given a chance to he seemed to be! Chelsea’s story was played devious nature in a way that students were learn all of the important aspects of driving. out and examined by the three students engaged and concerned with. During the day we looked at the mechanics who, along with their teacher, attempt to The students gained a better understanding of behind cars and learnt all about road safety, understand what happened to Chelsea and the devastating impact that sexual exploitation which will be very useful in the future. In the how it could have been prevented. has on a young person’s life and have since afternoon we all got a chance to drive with In conjunction with Bedford Borough this commented on the ‘rewarding discussions’ an instructor which really helped build up innovative and powerful message was they have had since. our confidence.” delivered to our Year 9 and 10 students. One Year 10 boy commented, “It was thought provoking as it made me think about what people are capable of doing to people our age.” UKMT Senior Maths Challenge Congratulations to all Sixth Form Maths students who recently took part in the UKMT Senior Maths Challenge. It ran with great success. Big congratulations to Amrit Thind who received a silver certificate. Highlights - Autumn 2014 03 Communications SPOTLIGHT ON READING Why Read? Reading is fundamental to the development of children and countless research shows the links between good reading skills from an early age and future success in life. Researchers in England have noted that “as students become National engaged readers, they provide themselves with self-generated learning opportunities that are equivalent to several years of Poetry Day education.” They also reported that children with a positive attitude to reading are more likely to practice the reading skills On Thursday 2nd October, Bedford Academy they are learning at school. Communications Village observed National Poetry Day with Children who are read to every day at age three have a vocabulary an open mic at age five which is nearly two months more advanced than those poetry recital in who are not. A child taken to the library on a monthly basis from the atrium during ages three to five is two and a half months ahead of an equivalent morning break. child at age five who did not visit the library so regularly. Members of staff Poor reading skills correlate heavily with lack of employment, lower and students from wages, and fewer opportunities for advancement. Significantly all years, including worse reading skills are found among prisoners than in the general the Sixth Form, took adult population. part performing Research also indicates that reading and taking part in social reading to the school as activities such as reading groups help people relax, support learning, classes rotated combat isolation and build social capital, help develop confidence through morning and self-esteem and promote enjoyment and well-being. Reading break. This year, the theme was centred can provide an escape from day-to-day concerns and can be a around remembrance and the century that wonderful way of relaxing and relieving stress. has passed since the declaration of World (Source - www.teachers.org.uk) War One. Poems written by fallen soldiers and notable poets of the period were read, alongside modern verses. We were fortunate to be joined by soldiers from the local Army careers information service who also read to the student body. News from the MFL team Year 8 are embarking on their first FCSE unit on the topic of Leisure. This is a foundation qualification which will be completed in Year 8 and will provide students a fantastic foundation for further “It was really impressive to see and French success! Revision club runs every hear so many students, especially in Monday with Miss Dubois if some extra our younger year groups, read with help is needed. confidence” said Mr Farmer. 04 Highlights - Autumn 2014 Communications Top tips to help you develop an interest in reading There are a number of ways in which you can develop a positive relationship with reading. • Visit your local library or school library. • If you discover an unfamiliar word as minutes can hook you into an inviting book.” Bedford Academy’s ILC is extremely well you are reading use a dictionary to find – Tareq, Year 8 stocked with books to suit everyone. the definition. “15 minutes reading is a good idea because it There are audiobooks and reference texts • Finally, try lots of different books. If you settles the class down for lesson after break or as well. For our students in the upper are having a negative experience with lunch.” – Year 8 student years, periodicals and journals are also reading it means that you haven’t found “It’s a good way of making us read instead of available on request. the right book yet! being forced into reading a book we don’t like • Ask friends questions about their A number of students in Years 8 and 9 were as we choose the books we want to read.” current book or see if they can asked to evaluate the 15 minute reading that – Enamul, Year 8 suggest similar authors. begins every English lesson. Their feedback “I think 15 minutes quiet reading at the start • Read the book that a film is based on shows that students believe that reading is a of the lesson is very good because at home I before watching it.