WEAVERHAM HIGH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER December 2019 Mass Exodus On Friday morning, staff ventured across the country to experience a day in the life of pupils and teachers in outstanding schools. For some of us it was a very early start as we stood on platform 5 at Crewe Station awaiting the 5.30 am train to Euston, before battling with London commuters to arrive at Holland Park School in Kensington. Other colleagues going to London had a slightly later start as they travelled to the world renowned Michaela School in the district of Wembley. Some voyaged slightly less further afield, maybe in slightly less comfort too, as our school minibuses took staff to Derby and Halifax. Finally, other colleagues had shorter journeys to Macclesfield, Trafford and Warrington. Without exception, each and every school we visited were so very generous with their time, energy and openness as they welcomed us into their workplace for the day. We watched amazing lessons, spoke to pupils with real aspiration, met with colleagues who were open about their own school’s challenges and determination to ensure pupils’ life chances are maximised. Whilst at Holland Park we learned of the 4 pupils who had dealt with the trauma of losing their homes to the Grenfell fire and one desperately sad story of a pupil who sadly lost his life as a result of that fateful day. I think it’s fair to say all staff, regardless of the school visited, felt humbled and privileged to have the chance to see how other leaders, teachers and support staff deliver their vision for change. We have a lot to digest, share and consider. We want to take the very best practice from across the country and implement those ideas and strategies that we feel are right for our own school community. We know we have incredible learners at Weaverham. There is no question we are working hard to create aspirational young people who are determined to take responsibility for their learning and to fully grasp hold of all the opportunities open to them. We feel we can further support every pupil in fulfilling their ambition by learning from the Mass Exodus experiences and use it to shape our own vision. I want to take the opportunity to thank my colleagues for their open-mindedness and their determination to provide the very best experiences for every Weaverham pupil. Schools who welcomed us for the day: Holland Park, London. Michaela Community School, London. Landau Fort, Derby. Trinity Academy, Halifax. Dixons Academy, Bradford. Wellington High School, Trafford. Fallibroome Academy, Macclesfield. Eaton Bank, Congleton. Bridgewater High School, Warrington Alsager High School, Stoke-on-Trent. th The Shakespeare Festival– What a night, a 12 night! Two weeks ago I had the absolute pleasure of sitting in the auditorium of the Arts Centre in Manchester to watch a group of Year 7,8, 9 and 10 pupils perform in the world’s largest youth drama festival. For many years Weaverham High School has supported the Shakespeare Arts Festival and this year our chosen performance was the romantic comedy Twelfth Night, and what a performance our stars gave! Performing any play in front of a packed theatre can be a daunting task, but to do so using the linguistically demanding words from the Bard himself is quite extraordinary. Shakespeare’s plays are driven by their characters and every choice that is made about words, structure and rhythm tells you something about the person, their relationships or their mood in that moment. You can imagine how proud we felt as our pupils portrayed the story brilliantly with creativity, confidence and humour. Whilst I was immensely proud of the performance itself, I was equally proud of the way the ‘Weaverham Shakespeare Company’ supported one another as well as those performing from the other two schools present. It was a joy to be there to celebrate their achievements. I truly hope the experience left each and every one of them feeling proud and confirmed the fact that once you set your mind to it, you can achieve absolutely anything. Ellie Bennett 9SR Josh Bennett 9CB Elliot Brown 8JF Eleanor Chidlow 10GJ Isaac Dalby 10GJ George Dunn 8KW Lizzie Edwards 9CB Eva Foster 7AP Lily Kelly 10NC Aaron Lewis 10LH Charlotte Martin 9SR Erin McDonnell 10NC Emily Murison 8AG Lottie Nelms 8AG Charlie Parkes 10VW Ellie Sephton 10NR Aaron Southworth 10CG Sian Tideswell 10NR Daisy Trainor 10JB Amelia Warburton 10GJ Tom O’Reilly 10JB Josh Sharman 10NR Attendance As you will appreciate, attendance to school is paramount – not only to ensure each and every pupil has access to learning so that they are successful in their academic progress and to make sure there are no gaps in their knowledge, but also to ensure their personal and social development is also enhanced too. We have made significant improvements to how we track, monitor and support pupils whose attendance is not in line with our expectations…but there is room for improvement and so we ask for the ongoing support of parents and carers. As the winter months are upon us, there are likely to be the odd occasions where your child may have a sniffle, cough, or feel a little under the weather. Where at all possible, please bring your child to school – we will look after them and with agreed and appropriate medication, it is very likely that they will manage the school day without an issue. We have to prepare our children for the world of work and we all know that developing resilience is a life skill. Please work with us to ensure that your child’s attendance is the very best it can be. If you are struggling to get your child to school we do have dedicated pastoral staff who will be able to support you. Appeals Trust We are fortunate to have an Appeals Trust where parents and carers kindly donate monthly fees to support school funds. Every year the Appeals Trust Committee meet to consider how funds will be used to enhance the experience of pupils. Recently we have used the funds to improve the school site – we bought furniture for the quad area and we are in the process of having a covered canopy erected to enable pupils to have an outdoor eating area. Our next project is still aimed at improving the school environment but this time internally. Every pupil voice questionnaire or discussion we have had over recent months confirms that pupils find the toilet area in school unwelcoming and in need of some attention. It is my pleasure to confirm that the Appeals Trust Committee unanimously agreed that both the Girls and Boys toilets will be refurbished over the next 8 months. I will be meeting the school council next week to find out more about their thoughts on how these spaces can be improved. I will also be arranging for members of the council to visit other local schools who have recently improved their facilities to give us some idea of what could be achieved. I look forward to keeping you updated as our plans progress. The Best in Cheshire! U16 Rugby Champions I wanted to take the opportunity to share our absolute joy and pride in the U16 Rugby squad’s incredible achievement this half term as they were crowned U16 Rugby Champions. A squad of almost 20 players have demonstrated commitment, drive, excellence and respect in equal measure. It was right and fitting that they came home Cheshire champions and were an absolute credit to themselves and represented the school as the very best ambassadors. I am sure you would agree that the PE staff have been instrumental in supporting the boys reach this level and I have extended my thanks to them too. I know the victory would have meant so much to the players and we are all so pleased that the hard work paid off for them. I must say, in addition to the win, how they approached the game was something to behold. Mr Goodall explained in minute detail the challenge the match presented in terms of emotion and each and every player demonstrated respect both to their opposition and match officials. The school community are so very proud of all they achieved and the style in which they conducted themselves. Quite simply “the best in Cheshire” C Bancroft E Arnold F Davenport A De Keyzer J Lightfoot E Lloyd D Moulton L Lynch J England C Hyde C Bridge R Kiernan K Clarke B Taylor C Brown M Houghton Chili enrichment experience Written by Ross Hanley 9SJ On Tuesday 26th November, a group of Year 7, 8 and 9 pupils, together with Mrs Stratton and Mr Clarke went on a short trip to the Grange Theatre. Here we were introduced to everything you’ve ever wanted to know about chillies by the Little Chilli Shop, all the way from Anglesey. We got to try some chillies such as the Ghost Pepper which is classed as a “super hot chilli. We were also told about how they started their business and how it grew to become one of the best known chilli shops in the U.K. The Chilli Shop won many awards for their chillies and have even made some for the Queen! We all had a great time trying some sauces and understanding more about how chillies grow – in fact, everything chilli!! If you want to try a Ghost Pepper, you may need to have some cola ready – the best way to cool your mouth afterwards– you’ll need it, believe me!! Thank you to Mrs Stratton and Mr Clarke.