ONE!The news magazine of english marTyrs’ CaTholiC sChool

issue 12 summer 2014

Ofsted –‘Outstanding

Sixth Form’

THIS has been a very exciting year in the life of the school. Week by week, we have witnessed the new school buildings growing up around us, providing great classrooms for everyone, a beautiful Library, an ICT and Media Centre, an independent centre for the Sixth Form, fabulous sports facilities, including the AstroTurf pitch, and an amazing Performing Arts Centre. On top of all this, the school has received a visit from the inspectors, who commented on our ‘delightful’ students. This really sums up our English Martyrs’ community in one word, and I am proud that the inspectors are positive about the school, especially given all the building work and change going on.

It is particularly pleasing that Ofsted inspectors rated the Sixth form ‘Outstanding’; a wonderful moment in a highly memorable year. Of course, there have been many other tremendous activities going on this year, and you can read more about them in the following pages.

Mr Carney, Principal

AS part of our fundraising efforts this term, we decided to try a new approach.

Working with Mrs Proctor, a group of students from Years 8 and 9 were selected to take part in a LOROS Accumulator Challenge. This involved several events, including raffles for both staff and students, a sponsored eco-day in which students were given donations to complete tasks for members of staff, and selling samosas to Sixth Form students. Overall a fantastic £722 was raised.

During Lent, Year 7 students held a Penny Run for Let The Children Live! raising £267.34. Special congratulations to 7Ward who collected £90.22.

Grace Dooher and Steven Calvert, Spirit

AUTHOR Mark Robson visited the Library in March and held a workshop with students from Years 8 and 9.

During an interesting and informative workshop, Mark gave the students a wide range of exciting ideas for producing a good storyline. Afterwards, students in Year 8 interviewed Mark for our school radio station, Supersonic FM.

Mrs Gamble

OUR students develop into articulate speakers. They perform well in national competitions, including Debating Matters for Sixth Formers and ESU Public Speaking for GCSE students.

Year 9 student Isaac Saunders spoke powerfully on Scottish Devolution to secure a place in the final of MP6, an annual speaking competition aimed at engaging schools in politics and current affairs. Isaac said: “I delivered my speech on ‘Should Scotland become an independent nation?’ in front of a panel of judges, including the MP Keith Vaz. As a result of winning this round, I am busy preparing my next speech for the final.”

Our summer term traditionally ends with various speaking competitions for all Key Stage 3 students.

Miss Fones

Positively ‘delightful’

Visiting author In touch with current affairs

Fundraising initiative

Study volunteersIN Morning Study Group, members of Years 12 and 13 work with students in Years 7-9 to develop their literacy and numeracy skills. Individual programmes are tailored to meet the needs of each student. Results recorded over many years indicate that the help provided by our Sixth Formers is very effective in helping younger students to make progress.

Mrs Vincent

Gold standardA TOTAL of 14 students have been taking part in the Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. After completing micro-navigation training in the Peak District and their practice expedition in extremely wet conditions in the Lake District, they are now ready to complete their assessed expedition in the Yorkshire Dales. The students are also engaged in volunteering, skills and physical activities, and will complete a residential course before being eligible to receive their award at St James’s Palace in London.

Mr Manger

A strong sense of loyalty and prideIN May, Ofsted inspectors found the quality of education at English Martyrs’ Sixth Form to be ‘Outstanding’, and the school overall to be ‘Good’. The inspectors were highly complimentary about the atmosphere of the school, which they said was “characterised by an ethos of community cohesion and care”. They described the students as “delightful”, noting that they “make a significant contribution to the caring atmosphere of the school and have a strong sense of loyalty and pride in their school.”

Of the Sixth Formers, the inspectors said their “attitudes to learning are mature and similar to those typified in higher education”. Congratulations and well done everyone!

Mr Carney, Principal

Ambassadors for the schoolTHE Senior Student Leadership Team comprises the Head Boy, Head Girl, Deputy Head Boy, Deputy Head Girl and Officers in Fundraising, Dance, Music, Spiritual Life and Sport. The young people who are appointed to these positions take on great responsibility as role models and ambassadors for the school. As well as impressing university and employer interview panels, they also grow and develop as young adults, gaining many skills and qualities that will serve them well in life after school.

Mrs Conaghan

More than 100 reasons to VInspiredOUR volunteering programme, VInspired, is open to all students in Years 11-13. When they enter the Sixth Form, students are asked to take on a volunteering activity that benefits the school and/or wider community, as well as enhancing their own profile in readiness for applications to university or work. Students log their hours, and aim for their V10 or V50 certificates, with many students in Year 13 reaching 100+ hours of volunteering and achieving their V100. There are over 50 opportunities listed on our VInspire account, including the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, charity work, supporting at Morning Study group or running sports teams.

Mrs Conaghan

Luxurious accommodationTHE new Sixth Form Centre comprises a vibrantly decorated Common Room with commanding views of Leicester. There is a 100-seat study with computers and adjacent mentoring room, an ICT suite, and classrooms for Business Studies, Psychology, Sociology, and Travel and Tourism. The Centre also houses a base for the Sixth Form pastoral staff. A luxurious setting for our ‘Outstanding’ Sixth Formers.

Mr Carney, Principal

According to Ofsted, all of our students are ‘delightful’.

We couldn’t agree more. Here, we celebrate the

outstanding achievements of our Sixth Form students

Simply ‘outstanding’

MOLLY Reilly, Katie Berwick and Angela Shandacumar, Year 12, have been selected from many applicants to take part in a Life Science summer school at De Montfort University in July.

Life skills

All teaching

is good and much

is outstanding.“”

There are

high expectations

and students listen

carefully to

advice given.

“”

All post 16 students achieve high standards and progress exceptionally well.

“

”

Ofsted

Ofsted

Ofsted

MORE than 100 musicians performed at the Spring

Concert, playing in the Junior Orchestra, Senior

Orchestra, Concert Choir, Schola Cantorum, Wind

Band, Flute Group, Year 10 GCSE class, Steel Pans

and Guitar Orchestra.

It was a great night, celebrating the boom in

instrumental lessons taking place in the school, which

has doubled from around 50 students in June last year.

Our liturgical choir, Schola Cantorum, also

celebrated another prestigious year, appearing on

Songs of Praise on Pentecost Sunday and recording

a CD in June. They will also be singing at the Royal

Albert Hall in September.Mr Carter

Bursting with musicians

DRAMA students in Years 9 and 10 are

currently rehearsing the Willy Russell

favourite, Our Day Out. The play revolves

around a group of difficult students who

embark on a day trip to the seaside. They

also visit a zoo, a castle and the funfair

during their adventure away from the city.

We hope to perform the play during the

autumn term in our new auditorium.

Mr Prescott

Dramatic ‘Day Out’

TO celebrate Shakespeare’s 450th birthday, students at English Martyrs’ enjoyed a number of special learning opportunities.

At A Level, Psychology students considered Hamlet through Freud’s eyes, while Sociology students used the “All the world’s a stage” speech to understand the concept of staging.

Key Stage 3 students presented their research on Shakespeare using a range of applications in ICT. In History, they compared the real Richard III with Shakespeare’s character, and in Food Technology they made Elizabethan Knot Biscuits.

Miss Fones

Birthday BardWE were delighted when Young Writers

decided to publish the mini-sagas of

more than 100 Key Stage 3 students

from English Martyrs’, in an anthology

by young Midlanders entitled A Twist in

the Tale.The students were required to write

their stories in fewer than 100 words,

and to include a surprise ending. Some

of the most successful ones played

around with well-known fairy tales,

for example turning the hero into the

villain. The very best used sophisticated

language to shock or amuse the reader.Miss Fones

Tales with a twist

Musicians of meritQUALITY musicians can sing and perform to an exceptional standard. They can compose with vigour and excitement, and analyse the detail of music scores. Truly great musicians lead, take responsibility, are entirely committed and, most importantly, inspire others. These attributes perfectly describe Year 13 students Tabitha Bolam and Alice Wright, who are going to read music at university. Good luck girls!

Mr Carter

Showcase of our talent Students engage in a wealth of Performing

Arts - from Dance to Drama to MusicCreative choreography

AROUND 130 students took part in the Dance Show, from

performing and providing technical assistance, to working in

wardrobe and make-up.

Every year, students continue to surprise me with their

abundance of talent, dedication and enthusiasm for the

Performing Arts. Boundaries are continually being broken, with

students demonstrating ever more creative choreography and

showcasing their new-found skills in styles such as Breakdance,

Contemporary, Ballet, African and Jazz.Mrs Pemberton

Trips far and wideRetreats London

Paris

Leicester and beyondEVERY year, students go on many varied and exciting visits and

expeditions in Leicester, England, Europe, and throughout the

world. None of this happens by magic! There is a great deal of

work involved in making bookings; undertaking risk assessment;

sorting out finances; collating medical information and ensuring

that teachers have all the necessary paperwork they need. We

are very fortunate, therefore, to have a highly skilled and very well

organised Visits Coordinator in Ms Church – thank you for making

our amazing visits and expeditions a reality.Mr Carney, Principal

Retreats roundupOUR students’ response to retreats this year has been incredible.

There have been many opportunities to reflect and explore their

relationships with themselves, each other and God. In September.

Year 8 enjoyed a five-day retreat to Buckfast Abbey in Devon,

Year 7 went to Castlerigg Manor, Cumbria, and Year 9 visited

Ampleforth Abbey in Yorkshire. Each Year 7 form also enjoyed a

day organised by the outreach team at Crich. The year will end

with the annual pilgrimage to Walsingham.Miss Griffin

Passport to ParisTHIS year’s French visit was to Paris, where we spent two

wonderful days exploring the city’s incredible attractions, including

the Sacre Coeur, Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre.

The weather was beautiful and provided spectacular views from

the Eiffel Tower. The students were outstanding ambassadors for

the school, with all of them making a positive impression on the

French people they met.Mrs Higgitt

Museums, and moreIN May, 120 students from Year 8 visited the Science Museum

and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. As part of the V&A’s

Shakespeare tribute, students enjoyed watching and taking

part in a number of the Bard’s plays. At the Science Museum,

experiments and a Science show were the order of the day.Mr Wilby

Auf WiedersehenAROUND 43 History students travelled to Berlin for five days

in June, where they explored key aspects of the GCSE History

Modern World syllabus and gained an insight into German culture.

Highlights included the Reichstag, a tour of the Berlin Holocaust

Memorial & Museum and a chance to see the Berlin Wall. Students

also attended Mass in a German parish – and went tenpin bowling!

Mr Wilson

The road to WembleyENGLISH Martyrs’ students joined a capacity crowd of 10,000 at

Wembley Arena to watch Worcester Wolves beat Newcastle Eagles

in the British Basketball League finals. For the majority of the 24

students, it was their first professional basketball match, with many

expressing a desire to return next year. Mr James

Pilgrimage to RomeAS part of the school’s 50th anniversary, two visits are being

arranged. The first is a Saturday family visit to York where we will

visit the shrine of St Margaret Clitherow and the Bar Convent. The

second is a pilgrimage to Rome. Look out for the letters!

Mr Carney, Principal

English Martyrs’ Catholic SchoolAnstey Lane, Leicester LE4 0FJ

Tel: 0116 242 8880Fax: 0116 242 8881

Email: office@englishmartyrs.org Website: www.englishmartyrs.orgONE!

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Success on and off the pitch

An impressive season

In the swim

IT has been a very successful year for basketball at

English Martyrs’, with boys and girls eager to build on

relationships, as well as play and work hard.

Next season promises to be even more exciting.

With a new sports hall to play in, I for one cannot wait!

Thank you to Ms Church for helping all the teams

with our fixtures and travel arrangements. It is very

much appreciated. Mr James

IT has been a very successful season for our football teams; they all represented the school with great pride and were extremely respectful to every team they encountered.

The Year 7 boys’ team won six out of eight games. The entire squad have shown great character and determination, and they are looking forward to a successful season next year.

The Year 8 team lost just one game in the City League competition, with

a particularly remarkable win against Beaumont Leys (the current City Cup winners) and a magnificent 9-3 win against Judgemeadow. They also represented English Martyrs’ in the City Cup, where they were only just beaten in the semi-final after a dramatic penalty shootout.

The Year 10 team also had an outstanding season, only to concede an agonising goal in the semi-final of the County Cup during extra time.

Mr Gonzalo

Footballers fly high

IN netball, the Year 7 team were unbeatable, winning in style against Crown Hills, Samworth, Hamilton and Soar Valley. They also put up an excellent battle against rivals Leicester High, winning 4-3.

The Year 8 team also impressed against teams from Soar Valley, Samworth and Leicester High, as did Year 9 in their matches against Rushey Mead, Soar Valley and Sir Jonathan North.

Ms Saunt

IN April, the English Martyrs’ swimming team took part in the annual Leicestershire and Rutland School Sport Games at Loughborough University after qualifying to represent West Leicester. More than 1,000 talented students from all over the county attended this prestigious event.

Our students showed excellent skill levels, competitiveness, hard work and determination throughout the day, resulting in the Key Stage 4 team being awarded third place, while the Key Stage 3 team came fifth.

Ms Griffin