Autumn 2013 Issue 19 Opening doors, unlocking potential A SHINING EXAMPLE Award-winning teaching in our Spirit project THE NEWS MAGAZINE OF FALINGE PARK HIGH SCHOOL A tradition of New school excellence builds on our past THIS is a term of conflicting emotions. We move out of our old 1935 building, which has served generations of children here in north Rochdale, first as the AFTER operating as a school since 1935, our school Grammar School for Girls, then Greenhill building will soon no longer exist. Upper School and, latterly, Falinge Park However, over the years, the building has High School. However, it is time to pack undergone several extensions and modifications up and move next door into our new to accommodate increasing student numbers and home with its outstanding new facilities. educational needs. On a more positive note, I must A new school was first considered in 2007, and congratulate Year 11 who achieved the the design has been through several revisions, best results at 5+ A*-C including English reductions and locations, which have resulted in and Mathematics in Rochdale Township. the new building we will soon call home. Some This means there are only another parts of the existing school have been refurbished couple of Local Authority schools for us rather than renewed, but these works are very to catch. What better motivation for our much in keeping with the new build. current Year 11 students to work hard. Robin Lonsdale, Headteacher Turning pounds Award for MFL into profit Bs linguistics THE Tenner Challenge is a nationwide competition to IN recognition of their hard work, find the next generation of budding entrepreneurs. students learning a Modern In May, Year 9 Business Studies students were Foreign Language have the loaned £10 from The Tenner Bank. Working in groups of opportunity of being nominated two or three, they used this money as start-up capital as the linguist for that half term. to get their mini-businesses off the ground. The idea In every languages class, one was to make as much profit as possible, while giving student is awarded a gift voucher something back to society. and certificate for being the best- Adrian Penn performing student. The award is Budding entrepreneurs: given for a variety of reasons: for Madhiah Ahmed, Farah A BRIEF HISTORY IN TIME At the start of the building project, the reception and main entrance to the outstanding progress, excellent Savrat and Saxon school was demolished to facilitate the new build. During the demolition assessment results, superb Newsham, Year 10. process, a capsule was discovered: it was a lead box measuring 200 x 50 contributions in class activities x 25mm, which was opened by staff and students from the Humanities and fantastic effort. department. Its contents included a tape of the last school assembly in July The MFL Team 1966, photographs of students and the Headmistress, pre-decimalisation coins and school concert tickets. The inclusion of a school news booklet also included reference to the student editorial team, one of whom went on to become a member of staff at this school, who retired only last summer. As a result, a new time capsule is planned for the reception area of the new build, whose location will be denoted by a faceplate created by Design & Technology students. The new building will become our new school on 19th December, after which teaching and learning will begin in earnest in January 2014. Paul Keppie Primary pupils Cl get a head start THE Creative and Literacy Learning Summer School took place from 29th July to 2nd August, and involved 25 Year 6 and 7 learners who spent the week working on Pupils also completed independent the theme of ‘Amazing Discoveries’. learning booklets, which encouraged The five days were spent on a variety of research and further questioning. At the tasks, and included a visit to the Yorkshire end of the week, each pupil received a Museum and the National Rail Museum in certificate and a satchel to give them a head York and a trip to Hull to examine exhibits in start in the new academic term. 2 the Museum’s Quarter and The Deep. Simon DeCourcey 3 THE NEWS MAGAZINE OF FALINGE PARK HIGH SCHOOL Students“ enjoy school Leadership and are proud “and “ of it... management GOOD ” Care, guidance“ and“ support OUTSTANDING Governors““ PASSIONATELY COMMITTED “ Cohesion OUTSTANDING“ Preparing “ Overall“ students“ effectiveness“ for life EXCEPTIONAL GOOD Achievement of“ pupils“ Our latest Ofsted inspection has been overwhelmingly positive GOOD ‘This is a good school!’ The rhetoric is of a school that is good and close to being outstanding. Including every Hopefully, all families will have read it, but if you haven’t, there is a link on THREE weeks after changing student in the life our website. the Ofsted inspection Behaviour“ of the school“ and in Here are some of my favourite sound bites: framework, we welcomed Dealing with making sure that every “Students enjoy school and are proud of it...” a team of inspectors to and“ safety “Students from different ethnic backgrounds get on with no problems student has equality of Falinge Park on 17th and bullying of pupils whatsoever. They enjoy each other’s company. ‘We all get on without any “ 18th September. The “ SWIFT AND GOOD problems. It’s like a big family’ was the opinion of one student, and this opportunity“ changes have meant that sums up the harmonious atmosphere that pervades the school.” inspections are far more EFFECTIVE to succeed OUTSTANDING “Students behave well and have positive attitudes to learning.” difficult. However, what they l They feel very safe in school and are proud of their school. found has delighted our l Leaders and managers are exceptionally successful in creating a parents, staff and students. harmonious school community in which all students, regardless of ethnicity or background, get along outstandingly well with each other.” Robin Lonsdale, Headteacher 4 5 THE NEWS MAGAZINE OF FALINGE PARK HIGH SCHOOL En Da Focus on Creatively Fairtrade FPHS students have been working hard all year to commemorating WWI help us achieve the Fairtrade School Status Award. The Fairtrade Steering Group, which is made COMPANY Class, the FPHS Gifted and ideas from the Michael Morpurgo up of students from all year groups, is in charge and Talented Dance company, is novels Private Peaceful and War Horse. of everything that is Fairtrade in school. So far, currently working on ‘Project Tommy’ The final performance will be held at the we have held a Fairtrade Café at Rochdale Sixth (www.project-tommy.co.uk), in Imperial War Museum North in Salford Form College, Trainers 4 Trainers Day to help raise commemoration of the centenary, in on 8th June. money for poor farmers around the world 2014, of the start of the First World War. Senior Company Class have also and we have a Fairtrade Tuck Shop, which The senior and junior sections of the been selected to represent Rochdale is open at lunchtimes. company have joined forces to work in ‘Signatures’, a national event at the Look out for more Fairtrade events and on dances in response to images, text Lowry Theatre in Salford. competitions coming up soon. Alfred Mvula Rozwana Masood In good company: Members of Company Class. Rambert raises Cutting-edge teaching: Mrs Uddin and Reema Akhtar, Year 7. aspirations IN October, the Year 9 BTEC Dance group visited the THROUGH the SPIRIT project – an books, visits to places of interest, Lowry Theatre at Salford to watch their first performance innovative reward programme that and the opportunity to use iPads by Rambert Dance Company, who performed three inspires and motivates students to in a series of interactive treasure- contrasting dances: read for pleasure – Mrs Uddin and hunting activities. The Accelerated Castaways, by Barak Marshall, was an entertaining Reading her team have successfully given Reader application has also narrative about being trapped in no man’s land; What Wild 30 students intensive support with proved successful, with the result Ecstasy had a great set, with giant insects hanging from their literacy skills. Over the past that FPHS has introduced the for the ceiling; and L Après-midi d’un faune, which caused year, students have been rewarded software to the whole of Year 7 to riots when it was first performed 100 years ago. pleasure for their hard work with free encourage progress in reading. Jenny Wystawnoha Flash mob: Tabitha Rusden, Year 9, and Kriss-Ann Wilson, Year 11, with Stacy LEADING THE WAY IN LITERACY Murtagh. Pioneer spirit Teacher shines FALINGE Park was the first secondary school to visit the newly renovated Rochdale Pioneers Museum. SPIRIT students had their efforts in reading rewarded with a MEANWHILE, the SPIRIT project team-building and communication event in which they also resulted in Mrs Uddin being travelled back in time to 1844. named as one of 11 winners in the ‘Let Teachers SHINE’ competition, which ran in conjunction with The Times Educational Supplement. After a long application and interview process, Mrs Uddin Stepping back in time was chosen from 119 entries THE SPIRIT team also celebrated their achievements Students to run the project in school. The over the year with a visit to the National Trust site of accompanying £14,291 grant was Dunham Massey. Immersing themselves in the life brush off used to purchase new technology of a Victorian servant for a day, they learnt to make to support cutting-edge teaching bread, cheese, butter and soap, before hunting for in school. treasure in the grounds of the park. their clogs New technology: Faiza Qureshi STUDENTS and staff recently took part in a ‘flash and Ryan Morgan, Year 9.