BitterneParkSchoolNEWS www.bitterneparkschool.org.uk For available admission spaces at Bitterne Park School please contact us on 023 8029 4161 Summer 2019 NEWS EVENTS FUND RAISING COUNCIL SIXTH FORM Dear Parents/Guardians From the support staff: Mr Grove (Science); Ms Tate (Science) and Mr Rahman (ICT) It is that time of the year again, where we break for the summer holidays, another I would like to take this opportunity to year has passed by and I don’t know whether formally thank all the above members of it is a symptom of my age but it seems to staff for their contribution to the students of have gone even more quickly than the the school and wish them well in the future, previous year. wherever that may take them. Alternatively it could be explained by the Looking forward to next year – the school busy day to day activity within the school? will be admitting 394 new Year 7 students, Reading through this terms newsletter I am the Autistic Resource Base will be once more taken aback by the range and expanding and hopefully our numbers in volume of experiences/opportunities open to our very successful Sixth Form will continue students at the school. to rise. Our Teaching School will be training the largest group of new teachers Once more thousands of students have ever at 36 and the school site will begin the benefitted from our extra-curricular activities year complete. and trips which, form a central part of the Bitterne Park experience, additional to the On top of this the Riverside Federation traditional taught curriculum. We are very will start the term as a partner in the fortunate to have such an offer supported by new Reach Cooperative Trust working a dedicated staff and community that translate closely with Bitterne Manor; St. Denys; our ambition into reality. Moorlands; Redbridge and Woodlands schools, further strengthening our desire As the school year draws to a close I want to to work in partnership to build capacity for place on record the thanks of the Governing Southampton students. Body and myself to all the staff who commit their time to the extra-curricular activities, Exciting times ahead for us all, working in providing a really diverse and rich learning partnership! culture outside of the classroom. However, the time is upon us to put this End of terms are also a sad time because we aside for the time being and enjoy a break to inevitably lose staff to retirement, new recharge our batteries and reflect upon opportunities, changes in career……..This another successful year at Bitterne Park, year is no exception, we will be saying a community that we all feel proud to POLITE REQUEST PLEASE goodbye to: Ms Valentine-Dunn (Science); belong to! PARK Ms Allwright (English); Mr Carter (SENCO); CONSIDERATELY & LEGALLY AROUND Mr West (DOE); Miss Bishop (PE); Ms How- Have a great summer break! OUR SCHOOL. son (PE) alongside Ms Wilson (Maths); WE NEED TO WORK WITH OUR NEIGHBOURS Miss Barrett (Dance) and Mr Obagi Just a reminder school re-opens to students AND BE AWARE OF Letter from (MFL)…….. who have left during the term. Wednesday 4th September 2019. VERY BUSY AND DISRUPTIVE TRAFFIC AT ALL TIMES OF THE DAY. the Headteacher: GRAHAM WILSON - Headteacher being put down, followed by a tarmac base, Artificial the shock pad which allows for contact sports to be played and then the final carpet and lines. The final works included the thin sand Grassroots... layer followed by the rubber crumb and then the goals. The school are absolutely The pitch has line markings and goals for delighted to be using the an 11 a-side pitch, a 9 a-side pitch and 4 x 5 a-side cross pitches. Students are already new 3G pitch. benefiting from having PE lessons on the pitch; it being available at lunchtimes and he completion of the pitch also also after school. It will also be the first time brings an end to the majority of in four years that the school have a home Tthe building and site works as the venue for football and rugby fixtures.There new school was built and the old school is a strict rule for the correct footwear to be demolished. The area of the new 3G pitch worn which over time will allow for the was originally only going to be a grass lifetime of the pitch to be extended. The pitch however the school understood the school will also begin to welcome local clubs importance of having an all-weather 3G to hire the facility at the weekends and during pitch and managed to raise the £400,000 the holidays as under the initial plans there to upgrade the area. are no floodlights. Here's looking forward to high levels of participation and more The time lapse records the initial drainage opportunities for all students to access this and soakaway being built, the geotextile amazing facility. membrane and numerous layers of stone 2 Performing Arts BPSNEWS Another fantastic term... As we come to the end of hard work. All that remains for me to say is thank you to At the end of the Spring term over 150 everyone who has contributed to the another fantastic term of students auditioned for a role in our Performing Arts over the past school Performing Arts, it seems upcoming production of Hairspray. year. I am very privileged to work with a The standard of these auditions was so group of hugely talented and committed appropriate to reflect on the high and it gave us quite a challenge in staff, without whom the faculty would outstanding achievements making the casting decisions! I am not continue to grow. We are also very delighted that so many students wanted lucky to have such talented hard working made by so many of our to be involved and with rehearsals now students who put so much into all of the underway this is definitely going to be a challenges we throw at them and all of students. show not to miss. The production will run their contributions are very much from 5th to 8th November 2019, so put the appreciated by us all. I hope you all have a dates in your diary and watch out for more restful summer break, and I look forward to By Miss Moore, Head of Performing Arts information about tickets at the start of the working with you again in September. academic year. s always things have been incredibly busy over the last For the first time this year we have delivered Aterm with countless practical a BTEC Musical Theatre course in Year 10. examinations for GCSE, A Level and This has been a hugely successful course that BTEC courses, as well as events including has enabled us to continue to grow Musical Night at the Musicals and Dance Fusion, Theatre provision within the school. At the and we will end the term with our annual start of this half term students studying the Summer Concert. course completed their practical performance exam of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie I took a slightly different approach to to an invited audience. This is a relatively Night at the Musicals this year, allocating new musical with both challenging themes separate productions to Key Stage 3 and 4. and challenging singing/choreography. The event also featured performances from The students involved in this performance our Key Stage 5 Performing Arts group were absolutely outstanding – I could have and our Musical Theatre Company. This is believed I was in the West End! Massive largely student led, and enables a range of well done and congratulations to all that different students to showcase their talents. were involved in this. It really was a Featured musicals included Singin’ in the special performance. Rain, Mary Poppins, West Side Story, Six and The Waitress. I feel like I say it every As we come to the end of another school year, but this year the bar really was raised year it’s time for us to say goodbye to some higher, with so much talent displayed by our of our students. This is always a sad time students both on and off the stage. All of the for us as our Performing Arts students make technical requirements including lighting, such a significant contribution to the what sound, set design, costumes, hair and makes our ethos so special. From taking on make-up, and stage management being led lead roles in productions, to attending Music by our Sixth Form BTEC students. Over Department tours and contributing to so 100 students participated in this event and many of our extra-curricular activities, they they did an outstanding job – continuing to really have made an outstanding reflect the strength of Performing Arts contribution. On behalf of the Performing across Bitterne Park School, as well as Arts Faculty I would like to say a massive demonstrating our core values. I would thank you and good luck to you all. You like to personally thank all students and will be greatly missed, and we wish you the staff involved in this event for all of their very best of luck for the future. SUMMER 2019 BPSNEWS www.bitterneparkschool.org.uk 3 Drama Music Drama trips Farewell Year 11 e have been incredibly lucky with the quality of theatre coming to Yet another ur annual summer concert is fast WSouthampton this year – with approaching, and it will be a leading theatre companies such as Kneehigh lovely way to showcase all of Theatre Company and Frantic Assembly.