March 2018

Last week, saw the start of a ‘Primary Engineers’ programme, aimed at supporting engineering knowledge for educators in our community.

‘Primary Engineers Programmes’ have, over the past 12 years, created an engineering curriculum that spans Early Years, Primary, Secondary and Further Education institutions. Its core aims include: the development of children and young people through engagement with engineering, the promotion of engineering careers for pupils through inspiring programmes and competitions, the development of engineering skills for teachers and practitioners as a sustainable model and working to address the gender imbalance in science and engineering.

They developed a ‘STEM by Stealth’ approach to education which enables children and pupils to engage with practical maths and science alongside creative problem solving and literacy. This has created a positive impact on individual children and pupils’ self-awareness and confidence through team work. It also provides improvement in social skills through engagement with project work and links to the wider world and engineers.

Their work bridges the gap between industry and education and the programme reach extends to parents, carers and the wider community through public exhibitions of children and pupils’ ideas in relation to engineering in regions across the UK.

Feedback from those teachers from local Primary Schools, who came to the session, :

Excellent engineering day with enthusiastic and expert support. Fantastic learning experience. Can’t wait to get started with the pupils.

Fantastic experience of simple, practical engineering that all children would love to try. A great way to spend a day of CPD – hands on and practical.

A thoroughly enjoyable practical day – well paced, trainer well prepared & showed us what we needed whilst giving us time to develop our skills. It makes a refreshing change to come away from a course with resources that will allow us to carry out the activities at school – thank you

Day was enjoyable and everyone more than helpful. Started day thinking I wouldn’t be able to achieve anything and finished with a fully functioning car that made it up ramp number 2!

Now that they have the knowledge, they will go back to their respective schools and teach their pupils. 8 pupils from each school will then be invited to attend a ‘Celebration Event’ on July 4th, and the winner, chosen by the judges will receive a certificate and the award of ‘Primary Engineer’.

Last week, was the third of four Personal Development days for our pupils, across the academic year.

Here is a flavour of the events that took place:

• Careers led sessions on the world of work.
• Yr 8 – Samaritans came in to talk about the work they do within the community.
• Yr 8 – Fearless Crime Prevention officer came in to deliver sessions on crime and the perceptions people have of it.
• Yr 8 – First Aid staff from Warwickshire Fire Brigade gave training on CPR and other life saving techniques used in an emergency situation.
• Yr 9 – Guest speaker Martin Bandel gave a talk about the holocaust and refugees in war time giving a very personal account of his own experiences.
• Yr 9 – David Martin from Warwickshire Police delivered sessions on hate crime.
• Yr 10 – The entire year group took part in an enterprise challenge ‘Passion 4 Fashion’. They had to create a fashion company, design outfits and work to within a budget to buy and sell items for their fashion company. The day ended with successful companies modelling clothing for a fashion show.

On 21st March, Pasha Kovalev winner of Strictly Come Dancing 2014, returned to the Redditch Palace Theatre with his BRAND NEW show ‘The Magic of Hollywood’.

After the huge success of his tours ‘Life Through Dance’, ‘It’s All About You’ and ‘Let’s Dance The Night Away’ over the last few years, Pasha was joined again by his spectacular dancers in an evening of LIVE SINGING, DANCE, HOLLYWOOD GLAMOUR AND FUN.

This amazing new show, created by Pasha and his long time dance partner Anya Garnis, was jam packed with sequins, glitz and glamour as Pasha took to the stage with his sensational dancers and they performed ‘Oscar worthy performances’ all set to a Hollywood theme….

In every theatre, Pasha invites a local dance school to perform on stage with him and some of our Studley High School pupils Georgia Fisher, Beth Hemming, Eve Matthews, Lawren Thornewell, Isabel Matthews, Erin Brown and former pupils Anna Bray, who are part of Starlight School of Dance, were chosen to appear on stage again this year. It was an incredible opportunity to showcase amazing young talented dancers as a part of Pasha’s show ‘The Magic of Hollywood’.

Talent spotlight:

Beth Hemmings (Year 8) has been dancing with Starlight School of Dance in Redditch since she was 3 years old.

This led to yearly pantomime performances in which she played both chorus and principal parts. It also lead to successfully entering many dance and performance competitions. Beth now learns ballet, tap, musical theatre and theatre craft.

This year Beth returned to Astwood Bank Operation Society as a dancer, to perform in ‘Carousel’ at the Redditch Palace Theatre and also one of Mr Snow’s children where she showed her dancing, singing and performing talents.

She was asked to dance alongside qualified adult dancers and part of the routine included a solo piece choreographed specifically for her. The rehearsals were weekly with additional ones nearer the opening of the show. She starred in 5 performance and these received excellent reviews by the critics in the papers including NODA (National Operatic and Dramatic Association, who were so impressed with the standard of her performance that on behalf of the Society, the Mayor of Redditch awarded Beth the ‘Ken and Mary Dyer Award’ and was the youngest person ever to receive this.

Beth was also part of a troupe of Starlight pupils to perform with Pasha and Anya at the Redditch Palace Theatre. Following a successful audition, they attended the weekly rehearsal. The choreography was challenging but the pupils rose to the challenge and provided an excellent, polished performance. They have previously performed with Pasha and they were so impressed that they have approached the dance school again this year. They are due to perform again in May, in Solihull.

Her mother, Hayley told us:

These activities have made a positive influence on both confidence and resilience and this has been evident over the years.

We congratulate Beth on her rise to fame and wish her continued success for her upcoming performances.

If you have a keen eye for the world, or an artistic flair behind the lens – this is for you!

Compulsory for Year 9, but open to all year groups and staff at Studley:

• Deadline 30th April
• Format – JPEG
• Students to submit work via REAL SMART folder
• Staff to email Miss Hughes directly

Studley High School Gymnastics trio team performed at the Milano National Finals last weekend, against the whole of the UK and Northern Ireland. The team included Ella Rose Garratt, Mia Browning and Phoebe Hunt.

Their efforts were outstanding and performance level was amazing against an incredible level of gymnastics.
Of 22 teams across the UK, our Studley team came 15th. There were 2 teams representing for West Midlands, Studley High and Woodrush High and their combined West Midlands total gave them 6th place overall.

This is an amazing result for our gymnasts! Over a third of the competition were from schools that get sponsorship and scholarships to compete.

Gymnastics coach, Kirsty Garratt tells us,

I am so proud of the girls and what they achieved at this event. Ella Rose Garratt has supported the BSGA (British Schools Gymnastics Association) for many years. This year, she was asked by the BSGA to collect charity donations from a large audience of – raising money for Cancer Research UK (a total of £350 was raised.)

In support of the amazing talent of this team, we received the letter below from the Chairman of the BGSA, Jamie Weller:

The largest festival of science in the UK aimed at school age pupils took place last week at the NEC, Birmingham.

This year, the Fair was bigger than ever and included exhibits from many strands of science and plenty of activities for everyone to enjoy.

This years Big Bang trip was a full of firsts. Not only was it the first time we’ve managed to take the entire year group to the show at the NEC, it was also the first time the entire cohort managed to watch the same live show at the same time! However the firsts didn’t stop there, for the first time ever, a Studley High School student was picked to take part in the show on the main stage (Oscar Foxall) and to top that, Olivia Few was chosen to take part during the live show. Both students played their parts very well.

The students were extremely well behaved throughout the trip, it was lovely to see them so engaged with such a variety of activities and possible STEM careers.

Highlights of the day included: the explosions of the Big Bang Stage, the opportunity to build and race a rocket propelled car and opportunities to speak to real scientists about their careers. Pupils came away with not only huge amounts of information and ideas for careers they may have not heard of before, but also more perspective on the huge developments which are taking place in STEM today.

The trip was organised in collaboration with the Careers Department.

On Saturday 17th March, Year 11 pupils were invited to take part in ‘Super Science Saturday’. The focus was to revise key aspects of their Science GCSE course.

Sixty pupils arrived, bright-eyed, on a very cold and frosty morning to complete three hours of science revision. Their reward for this? Four hours of paintballing on an equally chilling afternoon. Great team building skills were developed especially when the pupils rallied round to ‘defeat’ the four members of staff that accompanied them (Mr Salmon, Mr Eost, Mr Sidhu and Mrs Moreland). You can see how much Mr Salmon enjoyed his time, in the below image!

Pupils were, as always, praised on their behaviour at the centre. Watch this space for the next ‘Super Saturday’!

A talented group of Year 8 artists have been attending a Shine in Art after school club. In responding to the theme of ‘identity’, students have created their own unique finger print portraits. Using a range of materials and techniques such as printmaking, stitching, painting, drawing and collage – they have demonstrated their advanced creativity and learnt a range of new skills.

We look forward to seeing them continue to shine in their GCSEs.

Musician of the Year 2018

PUPILS!

Play or sing a solo for your chance to reach the final – solo or in a group!

Auditions:
Tuesday 20th March – Lunchtime
Wednesday 21st March – Lunchtime
Wednesday 21st lunchtime – after school
Please sign up outside A2

Final – Thursday 3rd May, 6pm

Year 9 photography students have been working on a macro project to create very close up and detailed images. Some of their photos may at first seem unrecognisable, but look closely and you will be able to identify different types of fruit. Pupils experimented with ink, filters, mirrors and lighting to change our perceptions. Students have used their Adobe Photoshop skills to enhance the colours and textures resulting in bright and bold photographs.

Macro photography is the production of photographs of small items larger than ‘life size’.

Senior Paediatric Physiotherapist, Jennifer Gautier, came to Studley High this week, as part of the ‘MOVES’ programme for Year 7 pupils. The programme is designed to improve core stability and increase agility.

Jennifer tell us:

The pupils are seeing benefits in their ability to focus and study during lessons, as a result. Mrs Roberts and Mrs Johnson are making the programme fun and enjoyable, but are still ensuring that every child taking part is challenged. Each child has already successfully completed the first level and have proudly received a certificate for their efforts! Well done to the staff and children at Studley High school for taking part in this very valuable movement programme.

Studley students,William Hopkins, Freya Coleman and Bethany Freeman were invited by the First World War Centenary Battlefields Tour Programme, (funded by the Department of Education and the Department of Communities and Local Government) to a battlefield adventure.

Our three students have joined students from 15 other schools on a tour across France and Belgium, as part of the programme, designed to help them to develop a deeper understanding of the Great War.

They visited museums, battlefield sites, memorial and cemeteries including the Commonwealth War grave sites for Tyne Cot Cemetery near Ypres, Belgium and the Thiepval Memorial in Somme, France. Exploring the battlefields and seeing the landscape and the history of the war helped to bring events to life and ensure a better understanding of the scale of war. During the tour students attended the last post ceremony in Ypres, which took place at the Menin Gate.

William was lucky enough to be chosen to lay a wreath on behalf of the tour during the ceremony. We then listened to the buglers of the Ypres volunteer Fire Brigade sound the ‘Last Post’ before a minute’s silence was held to reflect upon the sacrifice of those lost.

Before setting off on the tour, our students had time to research the final resting places of many men from Studley which helped them to understand the personal side of warfare in a conflict, which took so many. Stories like: Frederick William Smith, who, on 26th October 1917 lost his life at the tender age of 19 due to wounds from action. He was the son of Frederick and Nelly Smith who resided on the Alcester Road in Studley at the time. Students found his name while visiting Tyne Cot.

Our students were a credit to the school and demonstrated kindness, respect, independence, passion and a desire to learn from the experience. The trip was truly a memorable experience and a privilege to attend.

During February half term, a group of 58 students from across Year 10 & Year 11 embarked on a visit to Berlin to further explore the topics they are covering in their History curriculum.

On the first day, we went on a walking tour around Berlin to see some of the city’s most famous sites and learn about their historical significance. On arrival, we navigated our way through every type of public transport, twisting and turning around the streets of Berlin before arriving to drop our bags at the hotel.

We then headed out to the Story of Berlin Museum. Here we explored the timeline of Berlin from its modest beginnings to one of the central capital cities in the world. We also delved deep underground to a former nuclear bunker, which would have been used in a real attack.

Next stop was Bundestag (Reichstag), the home of German parliament and one of the most iconic places in German history. The night sky was the perfect background to hear the enthralling history of the building but also see the amazing views of Berlin.

Friday saw a tour of Sachsenhausen – a place that opened our eyes to events inside concentration camps under the Nazis. The tour guide took us around the whole camp and explained in extreme detail what happened inside the huge, secretive walls and what type of people were held hostage there. It was a sobering experience but an important one as we continued to pledge that we ‘will never forget’. We followed this visit up to a modern day example of remembrance in the form the Holocaust Memorial where students explored the memorial, debated meanings and more importantly the people which it represents.

Over the following days, the group explored many other aspects of Berlin, including a visit to a remaining section of the Berlin Wall where they expanded their historical knowledge and emotionally connected with the personal hardships suffered by so many. Our pupils also had the opportunity to explore what life was like on the East side of Berlin and Germany.

We toured an ex-Stasi (East German Secret Police) prison, exploring the “submarine” and isolation units, which were enthralling. Hearing the experience of someone who was imprisoned for just wanting the basics we take for granted today was hard hitting. Students also explored the DDR Museum, which educated students on everyday life in the East looking at anything from food to a Volkswagen!

It was not just all History though! Students enjoyed exploring the city in the evening before and after dinner. Students explored the local shopping centres and found ways to spend those last remaining Euros. Students also sadly were defeated during a bowling masterclass by the staff in an event that will go down in legend. We also finished off our trip with a lovely meal at Villa Rodizio and said farewell to another fantastic trip with superb students.

The trip was a great opportunity to gain insight into a country and culture they are studying and to make historical links to places they have now seen for themselves. I thank the students for their exemplary behaviour and hope that they enjoyed the trip as much as the staff did.

#StudleytoSchonefeld #SHSonTour

Just before half term, Year 10 and 11 girls represented South Warwickshire in the County Badminton tournament in Coventry. Our girls came away with a Silver medal, after remaining unbeaten all the way into the finals. They showed resilience, sportsmanship and determination throughout. Congratulations!