LeaderIssue 9 • Summer 2013 The Learning to Lead our Lives “We can be anything that we want to be...” TheThe LeaderLeader celebratescelebrates thethe achievementsachievements andand experiencesexperiences ofof ourour studentsstudents andand chronicleschronicles thethe lifelife ofof thethe schoolschool 1 TheLeader Issue 9 - Summer 2013 Student Art Kirsty McIntosh Bronte Gwinnutt Nicola Bowen Adrika Farhid Jed Tattersdill Annabelle Aston Jed Tattersdill Zack Carey Ross Burns Oriane PierrepointEmily Bennett Sian Morris 2 TheLeader Issue 9 - Summer 2013 Welcome Contents “You are going to be remembered 2 Student Art 3 Welcome for the things that you say and 3 Editorial do” - to continue with the lyrics 4 Leading with Learning from Bugsy Malone. Within ‘The 5 Engineering Scholarship Leader’, you will find many of the 6 A Year in the Life... 8 Reflections on a busy year ‘things’ that our students have 9 Recollections of France… ‘said’ and ‘done’ over the last 10 Monmouth’s Got Talent year. 12 Music 14 Charity Committee Every student is unique and brings to just a small chronicle of the lives of our 16 Work Experience our school that something special students. There is so much more. If 17 Student Art that makes for a dynamic and you follow us on Twitter and on our 18 An ‘Oarsome’ Activity 23 Student Design & Technology Work vibrant community. At Monmouth new website, you can find out daily 24 World Challenge 2012 Comprehensive, we focus on building how we are moving forward with our 27 World Challenge Bolivia 2014 on every student’s talents and learning. 28 Summer Learning interests. We achieve this by providing Once again, Mrs Wendy Baker, with 33 Language Clubs a curriculum and approach to learning 33 Peer Mentoring the help of her contributors, has that allows every student to grow into 33 Sprechen Sie Deutsch? produced an outstanding magazine the person they are and want to be. 34 The School Council’s trip to Cardiff that is testament to the lives of our 35 Vocational Students The range of activities and success students and reflects the pride and 36 Bugsy Malone production contained within the many articles of esteem with which we hold every one sets new standards our magazine reflect our mission. I of them in leading their lives. 37 Splurge-tastic hope you enjoy reading about life at 38 Sporting Round Up Vaughan Davies 48 World War II Film Project our school. ‘The Leader’ is, though, Headteacher 2013 48 Community Fair 49 Community Participation 50 Monmouth Comprehensive School’s Eisteddfod 51 Cardiff Trip 52 Duke of Edinburgh’s Award 53 Can a Raspberry Pi* monitor Editorial a car park? 54 English Update Welcome to Issue No 9 of The 56 Spain Sports Tour Leader. 60 Student Design & Technology Work 61 Year 8 Welsh Heritage Competition Well, here we are again, 12 months 61 All Greek to Me! on, offering you a taste of life at MCS 62 Learning with Friends during 2012/13. 63 An Interview with Professor Stephen Hagen Thanks to many parents, we can bring 64 My Five Months in Monmouth you an extra helping of ‘out of school’ 65 Cadbury World Trip activities in which our students are 65 Our trip to Alton Towers! those of you who are new to the involved. Please keep sending them 66 Out of School Achievements magazine - it is only because of you through to me at any time of the year 68 Student Design & Technology Work that we can provide this magazine to 69 MCS is made from Star Stuff! - I am always happy to receive them. parents and the community. 69 Monmouth’s Mission to Mars Thank you, too, to everyone who has 70 Postcard from Austria contributed to the magazine with So, please, read on and enjoy learning 71 Student Art articles and photographs. about life at our school. 72 Food Glorious Food! Thank you to all our sponsors - those Wendy Baker Front Cover: who have continued to support us and Editor MCS Bugsy Malone Production School Photography by Des Pugh, Official School Photographer 3 TheLeader Issue 9 - Summer 2013 Leading with Learning Education provision and practice is changing constantly, so too is the World in which our students will live. At Monmouth Comprehensive, we are always looking to the future to develop our practice and provision to meet the needs of all learners. In planning the way ahead with learning, we are always researching papers on education for the 21st Century, reflecting on the requirements of our students and engaging in dialogue as professionals, with students, parents and the wider community. So how are we leading the way forward? Collaboratively - In a World where information and school so that students and teachers can work together. In understanding is changing exponentially; the financial classrooms, you will see learning being built together with resources to deliver learning are diminishing; the demands students and teachers. on young people to have transferrable skills are increasing Flexibly - Every student is unique and individual. In a diverse and the requirement for ‘ more for less’ means that schools World, which is constantly changing, our provision and will have to collaborate in a number of ways. At Monmouth practice has to be flexible to be able to respond immediately Comprehensive School, we are working with schools across to support learning. This year we have been able to invest in Monmouthshire to provide a 14-19 Curriculum that can creating smaller groupings of students in the Core areas of provide for all learners. We have built a joint Curriculum with the Curriculum - Mathematics, English and Science. It has the 14-19 education establishments in Monmouthshire to allowed us to provide more bespoke learning and a timetable offer a curriculum of wide choice and diversity. With our that is responsive to needs as they arise. In our lessons, we Primary Cluster we have built a continuum of learning from are developing practices that build learning skills so that 4-19. Primary and Secondary teachers meet to share practice students can independently follow paths of enquiry and and assess students’ progress. We have also created more analysis to a high-level of thinking and creativity. Our opportunities for students to work across phases of learning Integrated Curriculum has been extended across the school so that the points of transition are made more readily and so that there is greater flexibility in ‘how’ and ‘what’ to learn smoothly. This year we have also started to work together on and allows teachers to deliver learning that meets the Facilities Management across the Cluster to share resources. enthusiasm and interests of students. Again, technology has Within school, our move away from separate Departments to supported us in delivering more flexible provision and Faculty structures has created more opportunities for practice. This approach has encouraged greater levels of teachers to plan and deliver learning together. It has allowed student independence. Over the last couple of weeks, skills to be built in a systematic way avoiding duplication but students sitting examinations have chosen to come into maintaining repetition. We have rationalised our provision school during exams to prepare and work independently. and shared our practice so that we can achieve more. In this Authentically - ‘Real Learning for a Real World’. In a world move forward for greater collaboration, we have started where knowledge and information increase and change at working with other schools. We have also visited a number the click of a button, it is essential that students can apply of schools to learn from them. In April, we visited their learning and know how to learn for themselves. At Cramlington Academy in Northumberland and we have visited, school, we are always looking to make learning authentic Cleeve School and Tewkesbury School, as well as many more. and support students in applying it to real world situations Our aim and our need to collaborate have been helped by and problems. The Individual Investigation, as part of the the huge investment in technology made by Monmouthshire Welsh Baccalaureate in Key Stage 4 and 5, is an extended County Council and Welsh Government. The school has been research project on ‘real life’ issues. The Investigation uses a given over 700 laptops that are used every day across the Master’s Degree structure to support students understand 4 TheLeader Issue 9 - Summer 2013 how to research using appropriate academic methods. The Students have to be able to work and learn with each other aim is to help them to live in a world where they will be in a wide range of groups and situations. At Monmouth bombarded with information and analysis, so that they are able Comprehensive School, we focus on building independent to find the truth or at least discern what is accurate, and and intra-dependent resilient individuals. This year our what is not! The Integrated Curriculum is also based around a School Year Councils have undertaken Action Research into series of real life investigations that draw in the local, national Wellbeing and about how to build self and emotional and international communities as Case Studies for learning. awareness. We have worked with the Welsh Government on understanding how schools can provide for emotional Personally - Knowing every student and knowing them well. intelligence. Every student has to be known for themselves and allowed to develop in a way that builds on their strengths and With Skills - for lifelong learning. Our students will work in a interests. At school, our Form Tutors follow and lead their global community where high-order transferrable skills will tutees through the school and teach them for the Integrated be a necessity. If our young people are to compete in that Curriculum.