The official magazine for Park Community School: Issue 14 Spring 2012 ParkMiddle Park Way, Havant, PO9 4BU Postwww.pcs.hants.sch.uk In this issue Park supporting the Olympics Plus Great British Tea Party • Family Learning • Sports News and lots more Challenging destiny Our Great British Welcome to issue 14! Schools are in a period of significant change. year the results for Year 11 allow the students to make Education is a focus for this government as it was choices about their future based on success at Tea Party for the last. Michael Gove, Secretary of State for school. By Phoebe Arnett and Sophie Miller, Year 7 Education, summed up his reason for the recent Interestingly, there were quite a few similarities In December, Year 7 hosted a tea party changes: “While we have some of the best schools As well as the rhetoric the coalition has now enacted between the Year 7s and the elderly. For for the elderly people in Leigh Park’s in the world, we also have too many which are still changes to the laws which govern schools. Some of example, we have good friends who we spend community. We wanted to find out struggling.” these are worth noting. A theme has been to support our free time with, they also had some similar information about our community discipline in the classroom. The new lessons such as Maths, English and Science. and how older members of it lived Parents with children at Park can be Education Act gives schools an increased their lives when they were younger. confident that their sons and daughters power to search students for items such as However, there were also some differences The results were very surprising! are in one of the best schools. Our results pornography and video cameras, as well between our generations. For example, they Another reason for the last year proved once again that the as knives, and we can now examine and would get really bad punishments tea party was to reflect on progress made by students here measures delete data on electronic mobile devices. whereas we only get our learning about identity up. The league tables due at the end of Detentions are another area of change detentions. They got the and to bring our community this month will show how we compare with and schools no longer need to give 24 cane or a chalk board rubber together - young and old. schools serving much more advantaged hours notice to parents. chucked at their heads, and communities and also what is happening shut in a cupboard, while we The afternoon’s events were in similar local schools. A further change is that Outstanding get a warning. This made us all planned and delivered schools, like Park, will be freed from feel grateful that we didn’t live by Year 7 students. These This government has spoken many times inspections and left to concentrate on in those times. We also found included: about unfairness in society and, whether “Children will continue to what matters - teaching and learning. out our school was once called • Carol performances one thinks they have a real sense of what achieve outstanding results That remains as our passion at Park. This, Broomfield. People also got jobs and sing-alongs by every is fair or not, they are quite right when they at Park” coupled with the commitment of all staff when they were 14-15 years old! mentoring group say that “In our education system it is still far to ensuring the best environment and We have it so easy. • Preparation of delicious too often the case that deprivation is destiny.” techniques, means that we know your children will cucumber sandwiches, hot continue to achieve at the very highest levels. Overall, we came up with the tea and mouth-watering Mr Gove has said repeatedly that the gap in following ideas about what it means cakes attainment between rich and poor has widened Thank you for your help in our success story. to be British ... • Excellent service of refreshments in recent years; that may be true but it is not here • Decoration of the hall at Park. Our results show how all students succeed Being British is about being proud of our country, • Media team to record the whole event. and we work hard to make sure everyone gets the getting a good education, a good lifestyle and you support and help they need. get treated well. Every student also spent time preparing interview Christopher Anders, Headteacher questions so they could find out about life in the past. Park is a school which is one of the government’s Above all, our Great British Tea Party showed that we all engines of social mobility, where accidents of birth love having fun, singing and laughing together! and the unfairness of life’s lottery are overcome through academic progress and success. Each Park students helped to WOW launch evaluate the In October 28 students from Year 7 were WOW launch invited to celebrate the launch of ‘World of Water’ at Staunton Country Park. The students were split into three groups and took part in different activities throughout the day to investigate ways in which they could save water in their own homes. Park Peer Mentors In December a group of Year 8 students were chosen, All students were invited to leave valuable by the members of their year group, to be trained feedback as to how each activity could be as peer mentors. All were selected because other within the school. Mr Rose commented improved to serve the general public. Despite the dull students thought them to be good role models and “I very much look forward to working with weather the day was very successful with the students’ capable of helping others. The focus of the training them in the future as they are already contributions to the event being much appreciated by was on raising the students’ awareness of how to making a significant difference around its organisers, Staunton Country Park and Portsmouth 01 support and set a good example to other students the school.” Water. 02 Year 7 rise to the challenge! Venice Our school, our news by Tasmyn Dixon and Kelly Allison, Over three days in September the whole of Year 7 trapeze bar! Very Year 10 went on a trip to the Portsmouth Outdoor Centre with scary, but our the aim of developing their teamwork skills. students rose to In September, didn’t like it because we Access 2 the challenge. second year felt like the boat would tip Year 7 students built rafts by tying wooden Creative & Media over! We ended the day Nature logs and long canoes together with ropes The whole Year Diploma students in St Mark’s Square which to race against other groups. They soon 7 trip was a went on an exciting was really busy and full of Our Access 2 Nature realised that the best results were achieved great success, trip to Venice for pigeons. Group has completed their Record Project. by those who really worked with our students the clearance of a site There was a lot to together as a team on overcoming fears Day three we once home to a World see and do, as the went to the Jewish paddling and steering. The and reaching War II Ammunition dump activity finished with most personal goals. Italian culture is so Ghetto, Murano at Farlington Marshes of the students leaping into Staff at the centre very different from and to Cemetery – exposing the whole the very cold, muddy and were impressed ours back home and because Island, which was both smelly Langstone Harbour! with the Venice is a city on water! eerie and beautiful area so that walkers and enthusiasm and and gave all of us a enthusiasts can now visit The high ropes included excellent attitude On day one we got the bus chance to stop and this important historic site. two walls for the students of Park’s newest into Venice and learnt our way think. to climb, while other year group. round the city, getting to know members of their team the sights. We also took lots of Day four we headed were responsible for pulling pictures of our chosen subject. back into the centre in the slack of their safety Here’s what the Year 7 students had We found a place to eat in of Venice and walked ropes under the guidance to say: Mestre town that served the to the Rialto, where of the centre staff. Some biggest pizzas we had ever we bought gifts for Mrs groups then opted to “Immense - really fun activities” • “Brilliant, because seen! Loake, Mrs Meyer, and Mr have a go at the daunting you had to give your team instructions” • “Scary, I got Lacey to say thank you for Day two we travelled around the Rialto organising and accompanying us on ‘leap of faith’. This was stuck in the mud and got a crab in my wellies” • “Cold a tall wooden pole with taking photographs. We also had the such a great trip. because we had to jump in water, but it was fun” • small rungs each side that experience of riding on a traghetto (a the students had to climb up. The higher they got, “Tiring, my arms and legs were aching because we gondola-type ferry) but some people There was only one bad thing about the the more the pole wobbled. Once at the top there had to paddle a canoe” • “Spinetingllng” • “I wish we trip, and that was that we had to leave! was a small platform on which to stand and steady could do it again!” themselves before leaping off and trying to catch a Governor Profile - Chris Braiden I attended Broomfield School when it Park inspires and motivates its whole concept of a true hero.