Autumn Newsletter 2012

5 or moreGCSEs A*- C92%

BEST EVERRESULTS

The

WhitbyHigh

School

READ ON

YOUR MOBILE

Dear Parent/Guardian

As we begin the new term, it amazes me that after only a few weeks the summer break seems a distantmemory as all our students settle back into school life. We welcome our new cohort of year seven studentswho are embracing secondary school life extremely well as they find their way around, (or not as the casemay be!). We also welcome back our new sixth form students all; 250 of them, who look extremely smartin their business wear.

Once again, I am proud to be able to inform parents of how well our students achieved in the GCSE and Alevel examinations. Despite the changes to the marking of examination papers highlighted throughout thepress, the students at The Whitby High School gained outstanding results across all subjects. Overall 92%of students in Year 11 achieved five or more GCSEs at grades A*-C, a 3% increase on last year. A*-Cpasses including English and mathematics placed us top within Ellesmere Port and Neston. The continuedhard work and commitment of staff and students have supported these fantastic achievements and haveput us in the top three performing schools in Cheshire West and Chester.

As the educational climate changes all schools have to be proactive in developing ways to best supportour students. This year to ensure our pastoral care continues to be outstanding we have introduced threenew Assistant Progress Managers. These are Mrs Sanna, who is attached to our Sixth Form and Hanover House, Mrs Palmerattached to Windsor and York House and Miss Moore attached to Stuart and Tudor House. These three staff will continually monitor progressof all students in their care whilst providing a valuable link with parents/carers throughout the day.

At the end of July, we had a number of staff leave us and this September saw of number of new staff join us.Firstly, I am pleased to welcome to The Whitby High School a new Assistant Headteacher, Mr McGrath whojoins us from St Ambrose College, Altrincham. He will also be our new Head of Sixth Form.

In addition to Mr McGrath I also welcome Mr Ainsley, Mr Ellison, Mrs Jones and Miss McGrillen to the sciencedepartment whilst the mathematics department are joined by Mr Oldfield and Mr Stanworth. We are alsojoined by Miss Roberts (ICT), Ms Couturier (MFL), Miss Jenkins (Head of Textiles), Miss Hay (Drama) and MrsPoll (Science Technician). It’s welcome back to Miss Harrison (PE) after her sabbatical in Australia, whilst MrIngram assumes his new role as Head of Science and Mr De Winton becomes Head of Stuart House.

We continue to be a school at the heart of the Ellesmere Port community where parents still want their childto join us despite being full over the years. A school judged outstanding by Ofsted last year and a schoolwith the best results locally. No gimmicks, no fuss just forward thinking with traditional values. Our reputationspeaks for itself.

Mr B Heeley

Headteacher

In line with national guidance, the school does not encourage holidays tobe taken during term time. We recognise that holidays can be much cheaperduring term time and that work commitments can make taking holidaysduring school breaks difficult but doing this can be disruptive both to yourchild's learning and to the school.

Should parents/carers wish to book a holiday during term time theprocedure is to write to the Headteacher, outlining the reasons why theholiday is being taken. This should be done well in advance of the holiday.The school has discretion to grant up to 10 days of absence for holidaysand this will be done in exceptional circumstances, such as religiousobservance. In the main, holiday requests will be declined. However, eachcase will be considered on its merits.

Please note: there is a common misconception that parents have the rightto remove their children from school for 10 days. Decisions are made atthe discretion of the school; it is not a parental right.

Should parents/carers take a holiday in term time without school consentthe absence will be unauthorised. A fixed penalty notice may also be issued,along with Education Welfare Service involvement.

Absences

Text messages are sent every day for pupils who are absent.It is vital that you respond to these messages otherwise yourchild’s absence may be recorded as UNAUTHORISED.Alternatively, you can contact the school (before 9.30 am, ifpossible) on 0151 355 8445 and leave a message.

Holidays inTerm time

A message

from the Headteacher

This year we continued with our annual rewards trip forstudents in Years 8 and 9. It was difficult for form tutorsto choose students who had excellent attendance, workedhard consistently throughout the year and were generallygood school citizens as there were so many students tochoose from!In the end, a very long list was narrowed down to 40students, (2 per form), and we went off for the day to livein the wilds of the forests that surround CholmondeleyCastle in South Cheshire.The students were divided into 3 teams and they had tocomplete a variety of team challenges as well as cook awhole trout each over an open fire for lunch. Despite theweather being poor a great day was had by all.

Annual Rewards System

Reminder to parents:Year 8 Girls- HPV Immunisations1st 24th September 20122nd 6th November 20123rd 25th March 2013Year 10 Td/IPV Immunisations 9th October 2012

All consent forms must be returned to school before the immunisations.

The Whitby High School provides a high quality PSHE programme for your child andwas very proud to be judged as in a recent subject inspection.But what is PSHE all about? Why is it so important and what can you do to support your child’s PSHEeducation?

What is PSHE?PSHE education deals with the real life issues affecting our children, families andcommunities. It is concerned with the social, health and economic realities of their lives, experiences andattitudes.

Why is PSHE Education so important?Because it:·   Promotes independence and responsibility·   Improves employability·   Contributes to health and wellbeing·   Contributes to the safety and protection of our children and young people

As a parent, how can you support your child’s PSHE Education?The personal, social, health and economic development of your child is achieved through partnership between school and the family.To support you child you could:·   Go to information events for parents about the school’s approach to issues such as drugs or safety that are part of PSHE education.·   Talk with your child about the issues explored in PSHE education.To find out more about PSHE visit our school website:

What is PSHE?

Whitby World Book DayBalloon RaceIt is time to announce the winner of ourWhitby High School World Book Day BalloonLaunch. . .

First place: Joseph Tulleth, 8T, whose balloonlanded 649.3 miles away (as the crow flies) inPaulinenaue, Germany.

Second place: Amy Gittens, 8S whose balloonlanded 514.5 miles away (as the crow flies) inAabenraa, Denmark.

Congratulations to our winners who received bookvouchers to spend on some exciting new reads. Whitby Celebrates Reading!

Readathon:

Congratulations to our current Year 8 pupils

who raised an astonishing £314.56 for

Readathon! The money raised is used to help

three fantastic charities: CLIC Sargent; Roald

Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity and

ReadWell.

A special thanks to the following pupils who

raised impressive amounts:

·   Connor Harwo

od 8T

·   Sophie Ashley

 8S

·   Olivia Rogers 8

S

·   Lauren Robinso

n 8YK

·   Thomas Cuttill 

8T

·   Jake Powell 8W

R

·   Kieran Gayle (

Mrs. Gayle’s son)

EnglishDepartment

As Year 7 take a big step in their lives, the EnglishDepartment are asking pupils to reflect on the theme of'Memories'.Until Christmas, pupils are working in their form groups onthe thematic unit. Pupils will engage with a range of textsand produce their own writing. Some classes will link theirEnglish work and their art work.There will also be an opportunity for parents and guardiansto view pupil work.

Year 7ChildhoodMemories

The concerts ransmoothly with a veryefficient tour crew, greatperformers (groups, soloistsand the concert tour choir)and great audiences whoenjoyed the music despite MrSemans’ very poor Spanish ... at leasthe tried! In the evenings at the hotel,a group of our senior musiciansperformed around the pool and attracted agood audience. The Hotel manager was veryimpressed with the impromptu concert.

Our former vocal coach, Rory Taylor, was the runner up inAndrew Lloyd Webber’s search for Jesus in his arena tour ofJesus Christ Superstar. Rory says thanks to everyone whowatched and voted. We hope to see Rory soon as he comesin to school to talk to our BTEC students about the experience.We welcome some new teachers in the Department: MrJonathon Rowland teaching Drums, Miss Emma Nowell teachingVoice and Mr Colin Sneade teaching Brass.The Wiz ... this year’s show is well under way and we hopethat you will come and see this great Motown version (writtenfor Michael Jackson and Diana Ross) of The Wizard of Oz.

MusicDepartmentAfter our excellent BTEC, GCSE, AS Music and MusicTechnology, A2 Music and Music Technology results 2012-13has got off to a flying start.

Three of our Year 13 musicians all gained places at universityto study Music. Alex Astbury has gone to the BirminghamConservatoire, Rob Turner has gone to Huddersfield to studyMusic Technology and Adam Lowerson has also gone toHuddersfield to study Music Journalism. Congratulations tothem all.

The big news from the summer term is of our epic concert tourof Spain. Forty musicians and crew along with five staff spenta week in Malgrat de Mar. Resplendent in our custom madepolo shirts we performed at three venues in the area. The firstwas as part of a small town Arts Festival.

Last year a group of thirty Year 9 pupils were invited to work with the LondonScience Museum on the Climate Science Project.  Pupils had to create amagazine article based on climate change.  The London Science Museumcollected work from pupils all over the country and created a magazine usingthe articles.

The work was then exhibited in The London Science Museum, ManchesterMuseum of Science and Industry, York National Railway Museum and At-Bristol.

Science Department

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR YEAR 11s

**STAR PERFORMERS**Alice Jackson 15 GCSE passes with 12 A*/A

grades Daniel Longhorn 13.5 GCSE passes with11 A*/A grades Chloe Rose 12.5 passes with 11

A*/A grades Benjamin Turley 14 GCSE passes with11 A*/A grades Hannah Morris 14 GCSE passes with 10

A*/A grades Samuel Roberts 12 GCSE passes with 10 A*/Agrades Daniel Sheldon 12.5 GCSE passes with 10 A*/A grades

Beth Murray 15.5 GCSE passes with 9 A*/A grades ChristosOthonos 13.5 GCSE passes with 9 A*/A grades Grace Lynch 16

GCSE passes with 9 A*/A grades Lydia Jones 12 GCSE passes with8.5 A*/A grades Kathryn McHugh 11.5 GCSE passes with 8 A*/A grades

Jessica Simmons 10.5 GCSE passes with 7 A*/A grades Samuel Bethell 11.5 GCSE passes with 7A*/A grades Sophie Carrington 14.5 GCSE passes with 7 A*/A grade Sade Wiseman 14 GCSE passes

with 6 A*/A grades Lauren Verdon 13 GCSE passes with 6 A*/A grades Lauren Selby-Hughes 13.5 GCSEpasses with 6 A*/A grades Yinqian Wang 10.5 GCSE passes with 6 A*/A grades Ella Whitby 13.5 GCSE

passes with 6 A*/A grades Sian Green 13.5 GCSE passes with 6 A*/A grades Katie Lowerson 13.5 GCSE passeswith 6 A*/A grades Josh Burns 11 GCSE passes with 6 A*/A grades Jessica Bool 11.5 GCSE passes with 6 A*/A

grades Nicole Roberts 13.5 GCSE passes with 6 A*/A grades Katie Carruthers 14 GCSE passes with 6 A*/A gradesCharlotte Pedley 14 GCSE passes with 6 A*/A grades Matthew Allman 12 GCSE passes with 5 A*/A grades

Emma Attwood 12.5 GCSE passes with5 A*/A grades Jessica Chambers 13.5

GCSE passes with 5 A*/A grades GeorgiaCole 14 GCSE passes with 5 A*/A grades

Ellen Cooper 14.5 GCSE passes with 5 A*/Agrades Natasha Ebbrell 14.5 GCSE passes

with 5 A*/A grades Charlotte Farrell 13GCSE passes with 5 A*/A grades EsmaHuyuk 12.5 GCSE passes with 5 A*/A grades

Danielle Arathoon 14 GCSE passes with 5A*/A grades Emily Malone 12 GCSEpasses with 5 A*/A grades Jack Minchew12 GCSE passes with 5 A*/A grades JessicaScholes-Rothery 12.5 GCSE passes with 5A*/A grades Charlotte Simcott 12.5 GCSEpasses with 5 A*/A grades ChristopherWhittaker 11.5 GCSE passes with 5 A*/A

grades WELL DONE EVERYONE!

Alexander Noonan 12.5 GCSEpasses with 7 A*/A gradesLaura Parsons 12.5 GCSE passeswith 7 A*/A grades Laura Davies12.5 GCSE passes with 7 A*/Agrades Sarah Edwards 14.5 GCSEpasses with 7 A*/A gradesCharlotte Fagan 14.5 GCSE passeswith 7 A*/A grades Jack Plested12.5 GCSE passes with 7 A*/A grades .

Daniel Sadler 12.5 GCSEpasses with 8 A*/A grades

Becky Broster 15 GCSE passeswith 8 A*/A grades Chelsey Field-

Baines 13 GCSE passes with 8A*/A grades Rebekah Jarman 11

GCSE passes with 8 A*/A gradesJessica Dunn 16 GCSE passes with 7

A*/A grades George Magraw 12GCSE passes with 7 A*/A grades

Jamie Randles obtained 2 A* grades in Mathematics and Sports Studies,an A grade in Physics, a C grade in General Studies and an A grade in A/SFurther Mathematics.

Daniel Martin obtained an A* grade in General Studies, 2 A grades in EnglishLanguage and Religious Studies, an A grade in A/S English Literature and a Bgrade in A/S Mathematics.

Alix Craig obtained 3 A grades in Business, History and Mathematics, a B gradein General Studies and a C grade in German.

Kyle Cunningham obtained an A* grade in Business Studies, 2 A grades in Businessand ICT, a B grade in Mathematics and an E grade in A/S General Studies.

Jordan Hall obtained 2 A grades in Business and History and 2 B grades in Businessand General Studies.

Sophia Rimmer obtained 2 A* grades in Product Design and FineArt, and a C grade in English Language.

Other students who obtained over 1000 QCApoints were Josh Willdigg, AlexanderJewkes , Jasmine Keenan,Thomas Nixon andMark Wood.

BEST

EVER!!RESULTS

Highest achievers at A-Level

5 or moreGCSEs A*- C92%

Eight Sports Leaders from The Whitby High School were rewarded for their outstanding work throughout the year witha trip to see an Olympic football match. The sports leaders who have organised a range of primary school competitionshave been instrumental in developing a number of sporting opportunities for young people in the Ellesmere Port area.

The pupils witnessed a 1-0 victory for the eventual gold medallists, USA, against a competitive North Korean team. Thematch took place at Old Trafford, Manchester and the spirit of the Olympics was certainly evident with a partisan crowdtaking part in a continuous Mexican wave and chanting for the USA throughout. After a fantastic summer of sport forteam GB the PE department are looking forward to seeing pupils inspired by the Olympic Games- attending a rangeof extra-curricular clubs.

Whitby studentsat the Olympics

London 2012 London 2012

Stuart House continued their recentSports Day success as they wereonce again crowned schoolchampions. Mr Heeley presentedEmily McCubbing and LiamCunningham with the Sports Day trophy, providing Mrs Sanna with the perfect goodbye. Despite asummer of terrible weather the site staff and PE department worked hard to make the highlight ofthe sporting calendar a huge success. There were a number of outstanding performances from pupilsin both field and track events and both PBs and school records were set throughout the day. The

traditional awarding of the top athlete prizes were presented with Sophie Percival and Zak Barnsleypicking up the trophies.

Stuart success in

Sports Day 2012

1st 2nd 3rd 4th

London 2012 London 2012

London 2012

The Ellesmere Port and Neston School SportPartnership organised the first annual PrimarySchool Olympics. The event included thirty-fivelocal primary schools competing at The Stanney Athletics Track.Each school was provided with a country to represent and with face paint, flags and fancy dress.

The schools truly embodied the cultural aspects of the Olympic spirit.The Whitby feeder schools: Woodlands, Meadow, Capenhurst andWilliam Stockton all took part with William Stockton winning theCultural Award for their representation of their allocated country,Ukraine.

The Primary School pupils took part in 60m sprints, relays,cross-country and multi-skills events. The Whitby High School sportleaders were responsible for the sprints and relays and managed toorganise over 60 races within an hour and a half!

Former pupil and Olympic torchbearer Caitlin Kennedy was on handto present the pupils with their medals. The event was a hugesuccess and would not have been possible without the outstandingorganisation and efforts of the sports leaders.

Primary schools

get into the

Olympic spirit

Two teams from The WhitbyHigh School represented thedistrict in the first annualCheshire School Games held inWarrington. The tag rugbyteam performed well intorrential rain and finished infourth place narrowly missing a

bronze medal. The table tennis team made up of LiamMumford, Ben Richards, Tanisha Adolph and Katrina Edwards

showed the benefit of hours of practise finishing second placeand picking up silver medals.

Cheshire SchoolGames success

CHESHIRE

Working with the BritishMountaineering Council

We are proud to be working with the British MountaineeringCouncil to host one of the BMC's Winter Mountaineering lectures on Wednesday, 21st November 2012 at 7.30pm. These are a series of lectures held in different venues around the country and feature Tim Blakemore(Mountain Guide) and Tamsin Gay (accomplished winter mountaineer) who will deliver an illustrated informativelecture covering many aspects of winter mountaineering. If you are a walker wanting to move out into the hillsin the winter or simply have an interest in the outdoors in general then you will undoubtedly find the lectureinteresting. Current participants in our Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme will also find this extremely interesting.Tickets (costing £7 or £5 for BMC members) are available in advance from Mr Simpson at Whitby either bycontacting him through the school office or by email: jsimpson@whitbyhs.cheshire.sch.uk.

Completing either level of the Duke of Edinburgh's Awardshows a great deal of perseverance, teamwork andcommitment and all participants should be congratulatedon their success.

The challenge now for all of the participants is to go onand complete the other aspects of their Award and in thecase of the Silvers to hopefully progress to Gold level.

Upon completion the Golds can expect a formalinvitation to attend a garden party at St James' Palace inLondon and receive their Gold Award from a seniormember of the Royal Family.

We are very proud of all of the students who haveparticpated in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme in2011-12 and to continue to be the largest provider of theAward in CWAC. Our success would not be possiblewithout the time given by over 20 members of staff whohelp each year by running training sessions, doing adminand most importantly helping to run over 15 expeditionseach year - thank you!

Mr Simpson

Congratulations to the Silver and Gold Duke ofEdinburgh's Award participants who completed theirqualifying expeditions in the last week of the summerterm.The Silvers walked over 30 miles in 3 days and theGolds  over 50 miles in 4 days  in the beautiful andsometimes dry scenery of the Snowdonia National Park.

THE DUKEOF EDINBURGH’S

AWARD

Year 8 went to Snowdonia in July. They visitedSwallow Falls waterfall which was veryimpressive following all the rain that we had thissummer. After a trip to the shops in Betws-y-Coed they went to Sygun Copper Mine,Beddgelert. They went inside the mine, (a bitscary when the lights go out!), panned for goldand hunted for treasure. Finally they got to playon the swings!

Year 10 went to Llandudno as part of theirControlled Assessment for GCSE Geography. Theweather was not good but students were ableto collect their data successfully.

Year 7 went to Foel Farm Park, Anglesey inJuly. They met Mr Speers, the farmer, andhis animals. Pupils had the opportunity tofeed and play with some of the animals, theShire Horse was a particular favourite. Theywent on a tractor and quad bike ride andbounced on the bouncy cushion.

GeographyDepartment

The Whitby High School8 www.whitbyhs.cheshire.sch.uk( 0151 355 8445