This follows on from a highly successful Open Evening in September where it was standing room only in the Assembly Hall, as we were treated to outstanding speeches delivered by the Head Boy and Girl and their Deputies. There may be parents of Year 6 pupils still out there who are interested in looking at the school. They can be assured that they still have the freedom to select the school of their choice as opposed to the one indicated by the authority and we will keep some spaces available for late applications for 2014. Back to our current students, and the activities continue to flourish in terms of creating a school community we are proud of. The Peer Mentors work tirelessly to ensure their colleagues are happy and content, offering support to anyone with an issue, whatever the cause may be. A new initiative for this year has been the introduction of a prefect system involving a number of our Year 11 pupils. They are playing an increasingly influential role in the efficient running of the school. The community at large also plays an important part of school life with close links being enjoyed with the local parish and borough councils as well as the active support of the Audley LAP group.

Hello and a warm welcome to all of our readers of this Newsletter – in whatever capacity that may be. Memories of the glorious summer are beginning to fade as we find ourselves racing towards the first half-term break of the new school year. What a busy time it has proved to be. The new Year 7 pupils have settled in superbly well and already seem as if they have always been part of the school. Other year groups have moved on to the new experiences and challenges which face them, and are responding with the enthusiasm and determination we have come to expect from our pupils. Indeed that fantastic attitude was evident in the results gained by our Year 11 Leavers this summer. They once again excelled in all areas of their studies. We look forward to meeting up with them again on our Awards Evening in November. Amidst all this we have been inundated with parents of Year 6 pupils wishing to visit the school with a view to taking up a place in September 2014.

Alongside this, the Sir Thomas Boughey Learning Trust continues to develop: we work closely with its partners, Wood Lane, Richard Heathcote, Newcastle College and Staffs University in order to forge a first class learning pathway for the pupils in our care. With that, I look forward to another exciting year. I hope everyone associated with the school is successful over the next twelve months and I look forward to meeting all of you over the next three terms.

Mr S Gould Headteacher

Back in Time

We were thrilled, earlier this term, when Mike Joynson contacted the school to share the picture below. Whilst researching his family history, Mike found this picture of his great uncle, John Stanley Joynson. This is the Sir Thomas Boughey Football Team from 1921 and John is on the back row, first left. Alas, John was killed in an accident in the Minnie Pit in 1923. If anyone has any early memories that they would like to share, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Issue 13 October 2013

THE TERM TIMESTHE TERM TIMESTHE TERM TIMESTHE TERM TIMES

Termly updates, information and dates for your diary, stories, and pupil achievements

Sir Thomas Boughey High School

Recognising Achievement

The following pupils have been nominated this term by their subject teachers for excellent effort in their work. Congratulations to the following:

Year 7

Dominick Pala Jack Bloor

David Benton Ethan Lewis

Jordan Wilkes Abbie White Quinn Kelsall Jack Pitchford

Poppy Metcalfe

Fergus Babb

Year 8

Arron Perry Nieve Plunkett Lewis Coxon

George Kiernan Niamh Hartless Tilona Abubaker

Ryan Hammersley Megan Perry Jack Finney

Emily Southwick

Year 9

Joe Andrews

Morgan Butler

Rebecca Babb

Evie Holt

Frazer Karling

Sophie Barlow

Megan Sturge

William Axon

Beth Law Sarah Mainwaring

Year 10

Kieran Dean

Dominic Wright

Charlotte Simpkin

Liam Zwetschnikow

Layla Garnham

Molly Evans

Caitlin Phillips

Katie Glover

Zac Pepper Leon Dixon

Year 11

Tom Eardley

Marcus Potts

Michaela Ashley

Molly Ralston

Daniella Askey

Charlotte Prince

Nicole Jones

Ryan Bailey

Kate Thomasson

Lucy Harvey

Work Experience

Pupils received some excellent references and many pupils have been offered part time jobs as a result. Tom Eardley visited Kilnworx Climbing centre. Tom says: “I really enjoyed it because I didn’t do the same thing more than twice. I was always active and talking because people were asking for my advice on route setting. I helped to clean routes in the centre and helped to check anchors where the rope goes through.”

Tom also said that he thought work experience was “eye opening and you see work from a different perspective”.

Tom’s advice for those who are taking work experience this year is to plan it out early to get the best possible placement imaginable and don’t stick to easy options.

Miss L Wainwright Assistant Head

“For My Work Experience I went to Knutton St Mary’s Primary School. I enjoyed being there and it has helped me to realise what I would like to do in the future. I found it to be real fun and all the children were lovely and welcoming. Work Experience is a good idea because it helps you to understand about working life for the future.”

Tyler Rafferty

“At my work experience, I attended both ‘Pets at Home’ and Staffordshire University. I chose these because I felt that experience in the retail business would help me to understand a career that I was currently interested in. At Staffordshire University I worked within the Marketing Department which helped me to gain an insight into how to market a particular product. I am not sure about retail anymore but the experience was invaluable. This helped me to experience the real world of work and gain people skills and confidence.”

Marcus Wingrove

“For my work experience, I went to a printing firm called ‘SG World’, in Crewe, and Crewe Alexandra FC. I went to these placements as I wanted to gain experience in an office environment. I enjoyed the placements because I was working with people I knew and also the experience I gained helped me to solidify my career path. I intend to join the Navy and work outdoors, at least I am now certain of the path I wish to take.”

Sean Williams

Last summer, the current Year 11s completed their work experience for two weeks. Pupils visited a range of placements at KMF, Bolton Wanderers, DK Motorcycles, Pecks restaurant and Keele University.

A Good Book A good book can be many things: entertaining, moving, relaxing or uplifting. Just as young people all have different interests, attitudes and aspirations, so might their taste in books be similarly varied. Reading a good book can be such a pleasurable activity that we want to inspire as many pupils as possible to read, and to enjoy books which suit their individual tastes. Part of this is Sir Thomas Boughey High's annual initiative to give every Year Seven pupil a book, free of charge. Pupils have now received the books that they selected and we sincerely hope that they gain great pleasure from their gift of literature. Moving forward, we intend to encourage and promote discussion about reading - and good books - amongst pupils, teachers and parents.

Please support us in developing a love of reading and do get in touch if you would like more information about how you could get involved.

Mr R Lythall Head of English

englishenquiries@stb.coop

Year 11 Field Trip On the 18th September, the Geography Department led an intrepid group of Year 11 pupils to the River Dane, in the Peak District with the aim of gathering data for their GCSE coursework. The weather was fine, although previous rain meant that the river level was slightly higher than usual which presented an extra challenge for the group. Despite challenges of slightly deeper water and some overflowing wellies, the day was a success and pupils are now in the process of analysing and presenting their data. Thanks to Gradbach Scout camp for the use of their facilities.

Mr C O’Connor

Attendance Heroes

As a new year begins, I thought it was important to mention the three Year 11 pupils who have managed to secure 100% attendance for their entire time so far here at STBH. It is a fantastic achievement that they should all be proud of and I hope they manage to continue with this faultless performance to obtain the rare achievement of 100% attendance for the entire five years. Congratulations to Aaron Ramsdale, Charlotte Prince and Josh Mason and good luck for the remainder of the year.

Charlotte said: “School is important, so instead of having time off and having to catch up on missed lessons, it is much easier to attend school. For me this year, it is even more crucial that I don’t have time off school due to my GCSEs, so doctor’s appointments are made for very early times or during half term. Having a full attendance record is also beneficial to you when you are looking for a job or at colleges since they know that you are more likely to turn up and make the most of your time whilst you are there.”

Miss L Wainwright

Roving reporter, Stephen Clarkson, was asked to investigate our new Year 7 pupils and find out what they had enjoyed in their first few weeks at Sir Thomas Boughey: Everybody knows that the first week of high school is a unique experience that can be stressful and exciting. We have been talking to some of the Year 7s about their first week of school. Jordan Coffey says that he enjoys art, P.E. and playing football on the yard. Sophie Myatt looks forward to music while Macaulay Welsh likes the food in the cafeteria. They said that the food was amazing and that they liked the teachers. Obviously, the Year 7s this year have settled into the school well and will continue to impress the teachers with their new found confidence.

Stephen Clarkson The Communication

Crew

Harvest 2013

One of the traditional events we celebrate at Sir Thomas Boughey is Harvest Festival. Our school has a rural setting, surrounded by grazing animals and crops. It is important that we remember the significance of the work done by the farming community and reflect on the abundance of food available to us in this country.

Pupils and Parents were asked to nominate people in the local community to receive a Harvest Gift and also to provide a portion of that gift. The generosity of the pupils and parents was outstanding, with individual boxes of gifts, complete with letters and notes to the recipient. We had a whole school Harvest Festival Assembly written and led by the pupil members of the School Council. This year they took the theme of the food available to us but also those less fortunate than us. They explained about the value of food and how it cannot be taken for granted. They informed us of the rise of food banks in virtually every town and city, where people can go to get emergency supplies for up to three days. Hearing that, even in this country, there are people in need was a thought provoking experience.

Thank you again for your gifts and nominations, it’s good to know that the values we hold dear at Sir Thomas Boughey are alive and well. As a school, we are not just measured by academic results but by our actions and the impact we have on our community. Harvest brings out the best of Thomas Boughey - generosity to others.

Mr T Cumberland. Assistant Head.

Your Thoughts

Drama Update

Pupils are currently working hard on the next School Production – Return to the Forbidden Planet.

Return to the Forbidden Planet is a Jukebox musical by playwright,, Bob Carlton based on Shakespeare's The Tempest and the 1950s science fiction film Forbidden Planet (which itself drew its plot loosely from The Tempest). The high energy show features a bevy of 1950s and 1960s rock and roll classics, performed on stage by the cast. The school production will be shown from 7pm on the following nights:

Tuesday 11th February 2014 Wednesday 12th February 2014

Thursday 13th February 2014

Tickets will be £4 per person and £2.50 for concessions.

Drama Club

The Drama Club has once again begun, offering pupils the opportunity to experiment with texts and ideas, develop improvisations and improve a range of Drama skills. The photographs show pupils from this year’s clubs developing scenes based on the spy genre on the theme of suspicion. Drama club runs every Thursday 3.30 – 4.30 in the main hall. Pupils from all years are welcome to attend.

Stagecoach Theatre Arts was founded in 1988 by Stephanie Manuel and David Sprigg and now operates the largest network of part-time performing arts schools in the world, for young people aged between 4 and 18, with 40,000 students world-wide.

Niamh Hartless in year 8 and Marcus Wingrove in year 11 have been chosen to represent Stagecoach Theatre Arts, Newcastle-Under-Lyme in London’s West-End. A handful of Stagecoaches from around the UK will be performing extracts from a new musical called ‘What’s all the Fuss About?’. Only 18 people were chosen for this fantastic opportunity.

The musical, co-written by West-End performer Tim Churchill, is set in 1950s Ireland and is based upon Shakespeare’s ‘Much Ado About Nothing’.

The Breakfast Club

As part of our provision, we now offer a breakfast club. Here, pupils are offered a simple selection of fruit juices, tea, hot chocolate, toast and cereals. This is available at non-profit making prices. The facility will be open from 7.30am to 8.00am in the food room. All are welcome. If you wish to attend please contact Mrs Bailey in the school office to register.

Drama Trip to London

In April 2014, 52 pupils from years 9, 10 and 11 will be going to London to watch the west-end musical, ‘Wicked’, and the play, ‘Woman in Black’. Pupils will also have the opportunity to visit the Tower of London and have a sight-seeing tour of the capital. This is the fourth annual visit organised by the Drama department and promises to be another exciting and interesting cultural experience for pupils.

Shining Star

Emmie Shaw Peake won first prize in a local art competition to promote Betley show.

Her watercolour of an idyllic view of a local landscape was exhibited at Betley Village Hall throughout August. She has won four tickets for Betley bonfire.

Year 7 CC STB 7-0 Birches

Head ESFA STB 1-3 Congleton

Year 8

CC STB 6-1 Haywood

CC STB 6-0 Hartford

Year 9

CC STB 2-4 Haywood

CC STB 1-0* Cheadle Academy

DL STB 1-1 Madeley

CC Chestert-on

2-3# STB

Year 10

CC Wolstanton 0-1 STB

Year 11

CC STB 2-0 Rawlett

ESFA STB 8-3 Excel Academy

DL Clayton 2-0 STB

ESFA STB 3-0 Haywood

DL St John Fisher

1-0 STB

CC County Cup

DL District League

ESFA English Schools FA Cup

*Denotes bye into the next round # denotes after extra time

E-Safety Update

Digital Parenting

STB ONLINE

We would like to draw everyone’s attention to our fast evolving school website. There you will find a vast and varied amount of information about the school and how we operate. We put all the latest events and pictures on the site as well as features such as the Peer Mentors’ blog and sports results. Log on at www.stb.coop to find the answers to the majority of questions you may have.

Last year we sent home a copy of ‘Digital Parenting’ to all Year 7 pupils. Vodafone have produced a special edition with 25 articles from the magazine which is available to view online.

Visit esafety.stb.coop for links to the Digital Parenting magazine and other sites which provide guidance on how to stay safe online.

Cyber Bullying

Cyber bullying is any form of bullying using ICT devices. It is important that if children (or anyone else) feel that they are being bullied or otherwise threatened online or elsewhere, that they know how and where they can seek help. Children are encouraged to talk to parents or teachers, but can also find help online from sites like www.beatbullying.org

National Anti Bullying week runs from 18th - 22nd November, 2013. This year’s theme is: ‘The Future is Ours: Safe, Fun and Connected’.

Visit www.antibullyingweek.co.uk for more information – there is also an Anti-Bullying Competition with a £300 first prize.

E-Safety Committee

The school is still planning to form a group to review and monitor e-safety. If you would be interested in joining this committee then e-mail esafety@stb.coop and let us know.

If you shop online, you can make a free cash donation with every purchase if you join www.TheGivingMachine.co.uk. It’s really simple, you enter your favourite shops via TheGivingMachine and a percentage of your shopping bill is converted into a cash donation for the school, at no extra cost to you.

Parents as Partners

Examination Update

As you are no doubt aware, the examination system for Year 10 and Year 11 is undergoing a period of change. If you have had older children go through the school, you will have become familiar with the modular exam system: pupils sat external GCSE exams at four points during the year. If they under performed in a component they had the opportunity to resit and improve the mark later in the year.

This system has now gone and GCSE examinations are described as terminal: they are examined at the end of the course. For Core Science, this will be at the end of Year 10. For all other subjects, the examinations will take place in the summer of Year 11. There will be no opportunities for retakes to improve components, therefore, preparation is essential as this is a, “get it right first time,” process.

This is a national decision taken by the Government and Exam Boards, it is not a school decision. In order to achieve, pupils must prepare well as they will be assessed on a much larger body of work than previously. We ask for your support and encouragement in providing an appropriate study space and encouraging revision.

Absence from an exam, unless supported by medical evidence, will result in a dramatically reduced grade, therefore we cannot authorise any requests for absence that clash with external exam dates.

Year 11 information regarding exam dates and procedures is now available on the school website.

Road Safety

If, like many parents and carers, you collect and drop off pupils by car, you will appreciate how busy Station Road is at school rush hour. Recently a child was involved in a collision with a car. Fortunately, the car was being driven slowly and due to the driver’s quick reactions the car stopped quickly thus minimising the harm to the pupil. We will reiterate the danger of crossing the road without due attention to pupils and ask you to do the same. We will remind pupils not to cross between parked cars or buses and to use the green cross code to ensure their safety.

Station Road is very busy particularly between 3.30pm and 3.40pm with many pupils looking for their lifts home. There are also three buses due in this time period, resulting in more congestion and, at times, frustration. Please be patient and extra vigilant for pupils crossing the road to get picked up.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping the pupils of Sir Thomas Boughey safe.

Mr T Cumberland Assistant Head.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Daniel Warrington

Daniel left STB in 1997 and worked for a construction company for a short while, which he hated with a passion. He'd always set his heart on joining the RAF.

In September 1998, just after turning 17, he joined the RAF. He's been to Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Croatia and many more trouble spots throughout the world. He is now stationed in High Wycombe, Bucks but, due to promotion to Sergeant, he will be joining a squadron at RAF Honington, in Suffolk, in September.

Last year, he was invited to Windsor Castle by the Queen to celebrate her 60 years on the throne and only recently he was one of ten throughout the RAF to be invited to the service at Westminster Abbey to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s coronation.

Daniel’s Mum said: “To say that we are proud of Daniel is an understatement, you at STB should be equally as proud”.

Alex Shaw

Alex has recently informed

us of his success in working

for Microsoft. He has now

achieved the following:

MTA Operating Systems

MTA Networking

MTA Security

CompTIA Network +

City & guilds level 2, 3 and 4.

On our recent open evening

FINAL U16 NETBALL MATCH REPORT

The U16 netball team played their final league fixture against Clayton. They were excited and nervous since they knew that a win would see them regain the league championship, having narrowly missed out last year. The girls arrived at Clayton and the match got underway once some netball posts of the correct height and shape had been found. Sir Thomas Boughey immediately took control of the game. Their passing and moving was fluent and consistent throughout and the final score line of 39-2 really speaks for itself. Special mention MUST go to Grace Machin….who, from hence forth, shall be known as Amazing Grace, for her awesome performance at Goal Shooter! She played brilliantly and no one would have known that this was not her usual position. Massive congratulations to the whole team who have comfortably won the Newcastle League, scoring a fantastic total of 160 goals and conceding only 9.

I think we can safely say that the best team won!

The team consists of: Captain - Caitlin Melvin (GD); Abbie-Mae Rathbone (GA); Alicia Day (GS); Kate Plamer (WA who also plays at centre) and Tilly Jones (WA); Alice Shaw-Peake(C); Grace Machin and Abbi Roberts (WD); Eden Tagg (GK).

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

24th October ~ KS5 Evening 25th October ~ Break up for Half Term 14th November ~ Year 11 Parents’

Evening

21st November ~ Awards Evening 22nd November ~ Training Day w/c 25th November ~ Y11 Mock Examinations week 5th December ~ Year 9 Parents’

Evening

16th December ~ Activity Day 18th December ~ Y7 Christmas Concert 20th December ~ Break up for Christmas holiday

Young Driver

The Term Times is produced twice a term by Sir Thomas Boughey High School. Some copies are printed, but it is also available from our website www.stb.coop. If you have an active e-mail address and would like to be informed when a new issue is available, then please visit our website and sign up to our e-mail distribution list newsletter.stb.coop.

Over the summer holidays, Seb Hopwood attended a Young Drivers Course.

This is a structured programme to help develop skills of a natural driving sequence to make young people safer on the roads. At the start of the programme, they are given a diary to record their achievements.

Each young driver works through the programme to develop their driving skills. Levels run from 1 – 6, starting with pre-safety checks, preparing yourself and making the car go, through to level 6 where they develop judgement of speed and distance and controlling risk on the road.

Seb, during his session, passed level 1 and achieved parts of level 3, 4 & 5. It was a great experience for him and he enjoyed every part of it, so much so that he wants to carry with the course. He is now looking at dates in the near future to continue with this fantastic opportunity.