HEADTEACHER WELCOME “The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are.” - J.P. Morgan This has been a landmark year for Broadoak as we made the decision to join the Cabot Learning Federation. It has been an incredibly positive move from a parental, student and staff perspective and the opportunities both now and into the future are tremendous. This is the start of a very exciting journey for us all as we continue on our journey towards excellence. It was a moment of real pride when our Eco Leaders – a group of Year 9 students – asked the Chair and CEO of the Cabot Learning Federation, Professor Jane Harrington and Steve Taylor, to enact decisions at a strategic level which would support the climate change agenda. We have articulate and compelling young people willing to become changemakers here at Broadoak and it is wonderful to behold. There have been two standout moments this term which have encapsulated for me the reason Broadoak is so special. The Year 11 Prom was one of the best events I have attended in all my years in education. Our young people were kind, funny and charming as we celebrated their hard work together and I am excited for them as we look forward to receiving their results in August. The other event that was a real highlight was the Transition Event for Year 6. The four days of transition culminated in a showcase assembly in which the whole year group and their teachers, both primary and secondary, sang Shakira’s Try Everything in front of parents and carers. It captured in one moment the value we place on community – it does indeed take a village to raise a child! I would like to take the opportunity to thank all of my colleagues who put so much effort into it but to also thank colleagues from our local primary schools too. We had incredibly positive parental feedback so will plan to run a similar event in 2020. At this time of year we will be saying goodbye to many colleagues as they move to pastures new but there are some notable goodbyes I would like to share with you. Miss Gundry, our Deputy Head, will be leaving us but staying in Weston-super-Mare as the new Principal of the Voyage Learning Campus. Congratulations to Ms Gundry on her well-deserved promotion! We will also be saying goodbye to Mrs Jane Thorne as she retires after 25 years of service to our most vulnerable students. Her impact on young people here in the community over the years is enormous and we will miss her greatly. Enjoy your retirement Mrs Thorne! From endings, however, come new beginnings and in September we will welcome new colleagues who are keen to join us in moving the Academy ever onwards. I wish you all a restful summer and I look forward to another great year. Thank you for the support given to Broadoak over the past year. Ms K McGillycuddy Principal 2 YEAR GROUP UPDATES Lower School – Year 7 and 8 Woodhouse Park Residential At the beginning of June, 140 students from Year 7 and 8, plus 12 staff braved the elements whilst taking part in an action-packed Lower School residential visit to Woodhouse Park. Despite the persistent torrential rain, we took part in every single planned activity apart from having a camp fire! We gathered around the camp candle instead for our traditional sing along! Students and staff enjoyed a variety of activities including orienteering, problem- solving activities, wide games, hiking, a very muddy assault course and of course the very challenging high ropes course which was made all the more challenging due to the conditions! The high ropes instructor actually commented that this was the most extreme weather that students (and staff) had ever completed the course in! Mr Knight praised the sense of fun and ‘have a go’ attitude that the students demonstrated throughout the trip and thanked his colleagues for giving up their days and nights for the cause! Here’s to next year and hopefully a little more sunshine! 3 YEAR GROUP UPDATES Lower School – Year 7 and 8 Guide Dog Visit Years 7 and 8 had a special visit this term when Reggie, a guide dog in training, and two representatives from the Guide Dog Association came in to talk about the training and role of guide dogs and accept a cheque for £385 raised during charity week. Reggie certainly generated lots of interest and attention from students and staff alike! Celebrations Congratulations to the lower school students who have been presented awards this term… …and also to all those who couldn’t make it to Awards Evening! We hope you have a brilliant summer and look forward to seeing you in September! Mr Knight & Mrs Hambley Head of Lower School and Assistant Head of Lower School 4 YEAR GROUP UPDATES Year 9 Greenpeace Charity Week and Eco-Warriors As usual, term 6 has been the busiest of the year. We started the term with our charity week, raising over £200 for Greenpeace. Events included cake sales, a raffle and a sponsored walk along the sea front and up to the Pier. In celebration of World Environment Day on July 5th, students gave a donation enabling them to wear a blue or green top or accessories. Mr Ali, our Education Welfare Officer, challenged students to beat him at table tennis for a small contribution to charity. Only Ollie in Year 10 was able to beat him (although Mr Tipler and Ms McGillycuddy had a good go!) Mr Ali remains the table tennis champion of C Wing. Our eco-warriors have gone from strength to strength. The money raised last term was used to provide every student in Year 9 with a plastic free pen – doing our bit towards the school becoming a plastic free environment. Four of our students gave a presentation to members of the Board of the Cabot Learning Federation who were most impressed with how dedicated our students are to the future of the planet. They could only be described as ‘inspirational’. A group of ten Year 9 students also went to our local primary school in Uphill to deliver a presentation on the work of the eco-warriors. We showed the youngsters how to make an eco-brick by filling a 2 litre plastic bottle with scrap plastic wrapping and compacting it down with the handle of a wooden spoon. This can then be delivered to the local council to become a component part of a concrete brick. Celebrations and Citizenship More recently, Awards Evening was a great celebration of our pupils. Award winners were presented with books and certificates in recognition of good Progress, Achievement and Citizenship. I was also delighted to nominate Amber (9W) with the Head of Year ‘Student of the Year’ award. The theme of PSHCE has been citizenship. Students have been doing project based work designing their own charity and nominating who they think should occupy the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square as a model citizen. Our drop-down PSHCE themed lessons focused on the environment with a competition to design the eco-friendly school of the future. Tutor groups worked together brilliantly to produce some high standard work. We will be rounding the year off with celebration assembly and I will be wishing Year 9 a happy, safe and sunny summer. Mrs Downes Head of Year 9 5 YEAR GROUP UPDATES Year 10 PPEs for Year 10s The last term has been an incredibly busy time of year for our Year 10 students. They recently underwent a two week PPE process sitting exams across the majority of their subjects. Students should be commended for their attitude and approach to these exams, which was first class. We look forward to seeing the exam results which will guide the teaching and learning that will take place throughout Year 11 to ensure they are as successful as possible. College Taster Days Year 10 students have attended college taster days at Bridgwater and Taunton College and across the three Weston College campuses this term. This was their first taste and experience of what life will be like when they leave secondary education. There were lots of smiling faces as we departed, and a number of students who have a much clearer idea of where their futures lie. Please enjoy the photos on page 11. Into Education Workshop Alongside the exams and the taster days, on Tuesday 9th July twenty Year 10 students took part in an Into Education Workshop focusing on education choices. Students worked through a two hour workshop which incorporated a range of activities focused on what pathways were available to them beyond school. Students behaviour was excellent and they commented on how useful the workshop was in helping them understand what they could go on to study. Next year will see another two workshops taking place with the number of students taking part increasing further. Prefect Applications The process for putting together the new prefect team for next year also came to a close this term. Mrs Vernon and I interviewed nearly 50 students for the position, a huge uptake and a clear indicator of how dedicated Year 10 are to serving the school community. We would like to personally thank all of the applicants as it is never easy putting yourself through an interview process. 26 students have been elected, they deserve huge congratulations and we look forward to seeing them in action from September.