Yesterday, pupils had the opportunity to take part in a rugby training session lead by a Leicester Tigers Academy coach on the first team pitch.
Pupils enjoyed a session packed with knowledge and fun conditioned games followed by a tour around the ground which included a look into the first team changing room and the trophy cabinet at Welford Road.
Our pupils were full of enthusiasm throughout the trip and behaved impeccably.
A massive thank you to Leicester Tigers for their support.
The History Department welcomed two historians to school this week, to help deliver the final History “Shine” session of the year. These are a series of sessions where academic historians come to school to deliver a presentation on their area of expertise.
This week we had the pleasure of welcoming Dr Tara Hamling from the University of Birmingham and Dr Sara Read from Loughborough University.
On Tuesday, 41 pupils heard Dr Tara Hamling’s session. Tara is a specialist in early modern material culture, with a particular focus on the domestic household and the visual arts (objects) of early modern England. Her research participates in four key areas of early modern studies: Visual and material culture (esp. decorative arts), domestic and social life (esp. non-elite material culture and social practices), reformation Studies (esp. post-Reformation imagery; lived religion) and Shakespeare studies (the material culture of Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon).
Elizabethan nit comb
Her talk on the history of Elizabethan England was centred on 10 objects. These ranged from ear scoops to nit combs and Tara took us through different elements from across the globe, all relating to Elizabethan England. This provided a greater understanding of the period as a whole. Religion was a central theme to everyday life in Elizabeth England and this was evident in all the objects studied, even though not obvious at first.
On Wednesday, Dr Sara Read presented to 68 pupils, so many that we had to find a larger than anticipated venue! Sara is a specialist in early modern literature and medicine, specifically focused on women’s reproductive health.
She started looking at common ideas of the causes of illness during the Renaissance before moving into the weird and wonderful treatments. From ‘cowdung’ to the ‘common worm’, nothing was wasted during this time! Sara then discussed the amazing work of Vesailus (and its forgeries!) and Harvey and its impact on medicine on the time.
Elizabethan Ear Scoop
Though, they weren’t always feeling valued, Harvey noted that “Much better is it oftentimes to grow wise at home and in private, than by publishing what you have amassed with infinite labour, to stir up tempests that may rob you of peace and quiet for the rest of your days” in response to the abuse he received from publishing his work which disproved theories of the time.
Sara’s talk offered timely revision for those GCSE pupils heading into their final or mock exams and also offered a brief insight into what we would see as a weird and wacky time for medicine.
Tara gave us some feedback:
The talk was a pleasure– I was really impressed with how attentive/engaged your students are. You’re clearly doing an excellent job in imparting enthusiasm and confidence.
Our Year 7 tennis team competed in the South Warwickshire Tennis Slams last week.
The weather was fantastic and allowed for some very competitive matches. The boys won three out of their four games against other schools, winning all but one.
Our team represented the school with great pride and displayed some outstanding performances. Well done Year 7 tennis team!
Between 10-13th May Mr Hobbis joined the other 19 Holocaust Beacon School Lead Teachers, along with staff from UCL’s Holocaust Education Department, on a 4 day study tour of Warsaw.
The tour involved excursions to sites in Warsaw to discover fragments of the past that speak to a once thriving Jewish community before the Nazi occupation. He walked through the former ghetto stopping at points of significance and remembrance and engaged in creative tasks that bring about a powerful encounter with the past.This is something which is not only important in History but all subjects with any site visit included and this experience will no doubt benefit all departments of the school as we continue to improve and develop our extracurricular programme.
The 4 day tour also included a visit to a former Jewish shtetl (Jadow) and the death camp of Treblinka. It examined the resurgence of Jewish life in Poland today through a special workshop and a visit the Nożyk Synagogue on the eve of the Sabbath. All of the encounters allowed the teachers to explore site based pedagogy and reflect upon the significance of these spaces and shared learning for our classrooms.
Our school is proud to be part of a network of over 120 other schools of the Beacon School alumni that are committed to strengthening the quality of Holocaust education they provide through UCL’s world leading programme. We look forward to continuing our journey with the UCL Beacon School project.
Stratford MP Nadhim Zahawi commented on our dedication to Holocaust Education:
Throughout the month of April, over sixty pupils auditioned in front of a panel of staff, for a place in our annual ‘Musician of the Year’ competition. The standards were even higher this year, than ever before, with students from all year groups performing on a variety of instruments or as vocalists. 27 students were announced as the finalists and rehearsals soon got underway in preparation for the final.
Last Thursday 9th May, our soloists took to the stage and performed to an audience of family and friends to find the winner.
Without exception, every student overcame their nerves and their hard work paid off, with all performing brilliantly, impressing the audience and judge who this year, was former Studley High School pupil and professional musician Alex Dudley who runs his own music studio locally.
At the end of the evening, Alex gave feedback to the pupils, highlighting that he had a tough job deciding on who should be awarded certificates!
The prize-winners were:
Highly Commended – Niall (drum kit) and Toby (Piano)
Most Promising Musician – Emily W (Piano)
Junior Winner (Year 7 & 8) – Skye (Vocals)
3rd – Dylan (Piano)
2nd – Emily W (Piano)
1st – Katherine B (Piano & Vocals)
For the winning performance, Katherine performed a piece called “Creep” by Radiohead. Last year’s winner Abbie Wheeler was on hand to present Katherine with a trophy sponsored by the Arrow Valley Band, engraved with her name, certificate and Amazon gift card.
Our thanks to Alex Dudley for judging, staff who helped out behind the scenes and ex-student Jake Haggett from ‘Evident Events’ who managed the audio for us. Also, thanks to our Year 9 Music Ministers helping backstage, Ethan and Max for the lighting and our CAMPS International students for running the refreshments.
Congratulations to all students who were involved and to the finalists who performed with such confidence and professionalism; lets see what 2020 brings!
Copy of the full schedule: Musician of the Year programme
As we are SURE you’re all aware, its National Numeracy Day this Wednesday!
To mark the occasion, we are inviting all pupils to consider entering a national maths poster competition with winning posters from pupils in each category receiving an Android tablet. There will also be five ‘highly commended’ certificates awarded in each group.
All winning and highly commended posters will be on display on the MathsCareers website. Visit the site for more information: http://www.mathscareers.org.uk/competition/hidden-maths-poster-competition/
Mrs Wakefield is happy to support all entries, the deadline to submit entries is Friday 7th June.
More information here: Hidden-Maths-Poster-Competition may 2019
This week, 136 Year 8 and Year 9 pupils had privilege of hearing the testimony of Mr Ernest Simon, a Holocaust survivor, as part of a visit organised by the Holocaust Educational Trust (HET).
The testimony was followed by a question and answer session to enable our pupils to better understand the nature of the Holocaust. The visit was part of the Holocaust Educational Trust’s extensive all year round Outreach Programme, which is available to schools across the UK.
Ernest, an Austrian living in Vienna prior to the Second World War, shared his story about how he came to the UK in 1939 via the Kindertransport (German for “children’s transport”) to flee the Nazis. He was just eight years old.
To him, as a child leaving his parents and younger brother, it had seemed quite an adventure and he didn’t understand the wider implications. He believed his parents when they said they would see him soon. Ernest did not know then that he was part of the Kindertransport, an organised rescue effort that took place during the nine months prior to the outbreak of the war. Ernest was just one of the 10,000 children from Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, and the Free City of Danzig, that the UK offered sanctuary to.
Many of those children Ernest travelled with, never saw their families again as they all perished in the systematic killing of the Jewish people. Ernest was more fortunate, his parents and brother managed to get out a few months later on domestic permits. However, they could not be together as a family immediately. Ernest was sent to live with a foster family and his father was interned as an ‘enemy alien’. It was not until 1942 that the family was finally united.
We can only imagine what a heartbreaking decision it must have been for his parents to decide which of their children to send out of Austria. Places were limited on the trains and none of them at the time would know that many of those that remained would become part of the 6 million murdered Jewish people.
One of his vivid memories, prior to leaving Vienna was standing, watching the burning of holy prayer books in the street below. What he did not know, was that he was witnessing Kristallnacht, also called Night of Broken Glass or November Pogroms, the infamous night in November 1938 when Nazis attacked Jewish people and their property. The name Kristallnacht refers ironically to the litter of broken glass left in the streets after these pogroms.
Mr Eost, Head of School said:
“It was a privilege for us to welcome Ernest Simon to our school and his testimony will remain a powerful reminder of the horrors so many experienced. We are grateful to the Holocaust Educational Trust for co-ordinating the visit and we hope that by hearing Ernest’s testimony, it will encourage our students to learn from the lessons of the Holocaust and make a positive difference in their own lives.”
Karen Pollock MBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust added:
“The Holocaust Educational Trust educates and engages students from across the UK, from all communities about the Holocaust and there can be no better way than through the first-hand testimony of a survivor. Ernest’s story is one of tremendous courage during horrific circumstances and by hearing his testimony, students will have the opportunity to learn where prejudice and racism can ultimately lead.
“At the Trust, we impart the history of the Holocaust to young people, to ensure that we honour the memory of those whose lives were lost and take forward the lessons taught by those who survived.”
At Studley, we regularly invite survivors into school so we can remember and also pledge to make the future a good place for us all to live. For us the message is quite simple, let us all start with the small things like tolerance and respect for one another in our school and this then helps stop the growth of hatred and intolerance in the world around us.
Year 11 pupil, Kiyyah G, has been offered a netball scholarship at a school in Worcestershire after she leaves us this year.
Sports scholarships are offered at 13+ and 16+ and assessment days are held prior to pupils sitting entrance examinations. Talented sportsmen and women are invited to apply to attend assessment days but all candidates are required to meet the necessary academic standard for entry to the school. There is much competition for scholarship places and interviews are competitive! Kiyyah successfully passed a one to one interview and is on track to achieve the required GCSE results required to gain a place.
Kiyyah is an extremely talented netball player and her sports ‘idol’ is Serena Williams, tennis star.
She told us:
I am very excited but nervous at the same time. It’s a really large campus and I won’t know anyone but it’s an amazing opportunity.
We wish Kiyyah all the best for her next chapter, well done!
Their routine was outstanding and Ella has been amazing in preparing Reuben for this event. To say that I’m proud is an understatement. They’ve worked extremely hard and showed a very high level of performance.
Studley High hosted another fantastic Dance Show this year titled, “A Night At The Movies”. This by far has been the best dance show to date and I can’t wait to see what next year brings!
All dances were performed to movie classics, from James Bond to Jurassic Park and Harry Potter to The Greatest Showman, to name a few.
We had over 50 students take part in this celebration of dance, from Year 7-11. A special thank you to Jarrad Heath in Year 10 who hosted the event as our compere for the night and thank you to all the students that supported with the lights, music and set.
Miss Dempster
Watch a montage of the night’s highlights here:
We are proud to report that Year 7 student, Taylor C has successfully auditioned for a role in the chorus for ‘Joseph’ at the Hippodrome in Birmingham in July.
This is the professional touring version – what a great achievement! Well done Taylor!
This Easter, we made the epic trek to Krakow, Poland with 56 pupils as part of their GCSE History studies. Renowned for providing an incredible experience and knowledge for the pupil, evoking difficult emotions at the same time, this was an incredible experience for them.
Upon arriving in the southern city of Kraków, after a 24 hours journey, pupils had lunch in the beautiful and historic market square (one of the largest squares in Europe) before spending the afternoon visiting Wawel Castle and the Cloth Hall.
Day 2
Morning tour around Krakow, visit to the Remuh Synagogue, the Ghetto and Kazimierz district – a bustling, bohemian neighbourhood, which was the centre of Jewish life in Kraków for four centuries before the Nazi Occupation during World War Two.
While in Kazimierz, we explored modern history, looking at the filming of Schindler’s list and the set location. In the afternoon we saw Oskar Schindler’s factory. Schindler’s former factory, which has been turned into a modern museum of the Nazi Occupation of Kraków, takes up the sprawling administration building of the defunct plant at 4 Lipowa Street. This provided pupils with a valuable insight into the events that led up to the invasion of Poland and the abominable treatment of Kraków’s Jewish population during the Second World War. The final stop of the day saw the pupils visit the Wieliczka Salt Mine – a UNESCO heritage site. The mine was opened in the thirteenth century and produced table salt continuously until 2007. This provided pupils with a wider understanding of Krakow’s history but also an amazing opportunity to venture 100 metres underground.
Day 3
Pupils travelled to Auschwitz and Birkenau – the largest of the German Nazi concentration camps and extermination centres. The visit started at Auschwitz 1, the original pre-World War Two concentration camp, where pupils were given an extended tour of the main site. The tour continued at Auschwitz II – Birkenau, the camp established as an extermination centre for European Jews. After a emotionally draining day, pupils headed back to the hotel before a quick change and a final night’s dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe.
Final day
We all ventured back into Krakow Old Town, which was the centre of Poland’s political life from 1038 until King Sigismund III Vasa relocated his court to Warsaw in 1596. We also visited one of Krakow’s biggest shopping centres before having a late lunch and making our way back onto the coach for the long journey back.
2260 miles travelled, crossing 5 countries. What an amazing experience for our pupils and thank you to all who supported this trip.
Mr Hobbis
Last weekend, we took the Duke of Edinburgh Silver group out to the Malvern Hills. They were honing their skills before they embark on their qualifying expedition.
The weekend involved 2 days of walking and 2 nights of camping. Although a few students got lost along their routes, the student represented school very well and were able to complete the training showing great perseverance.
Good luck for the qualifying expedition, watch this space for DofE news!
This half term – we spent 3 minutes with:
1.What inspired you to teach?
As a teenager I used to help coach younger players at Old Leamingtonians rugby club. This was a great experience and gave me my first taste of sharing my knowledge and skills with others and watching them improve as a result. Doing this laid the foundations for making me look into teaching. It made me realise how much I enjoyed helping others and helping them improve or learn something new.
2. A day in the life of you….
Wake up, get my children ready and drop them off at nursery. Then straight to school for a fun filled day. Most afternoons I am in meetings or catching up on work. The evening is spent doing the usual routine with young children, (playtime, dinner, bath and bedtime stories) once they go to bed I check my emails, catch up on any paper work, marking, etc before a quick bit of relaxation, either reading or TV before drifting off.
3. Proudest moment?
All the little moments in this job when you make students laugh and they learn and gain new skills or knowledge.
4. What is your favourite food or place to eat?
Charcoal oven cooked steak at Ye Olde Saracens Head. The steak is amazing.
5. Last box set/film you watched?
Last film I watched was ‘Spiderman Into The Spiderverse’, great film! Last box set I watched was ‘This is Us’.
6.What are your plans for Easter?
Going on a family vacation to Cape Sounion in Greece, then a week at home catching up on work, meeting friends and relaxing before it all begins again when term starts.
A final game of the season for the Year 7 and 8 rugby this week, saw a try fest and victory vs Shipston School – led by man of the match performances from Brendon C and Billy H 🏆
Trys from: Dan R 🏉🏉🏉, Billy H 🏉🏉🏉 Dan H🏉🏉 Charlie R, Jimmy F and Abas K – well done team rugby!
For the past few weeks, we have welcomed Year 6 pupils from Webheath Primary School, to spend time in our Science department for some scientific fun!
Groups of pupils have arrived on a Friday, spending time in Science, in laboratory conditions, that they won’t have experienced before. Supported by Year 11 subject prefects, the pupils were studying energy release levels of burning crisps and snacks.
They were comparing various brands of crisps and using equipment such as beakers, bunsen burners, clamp stands and thermometers.
Are you ready to read over Easter? Here is your challenge:
Download a copy here Easter Reading Challenge KS4 Easter Reading Challenge KS3
We’re delighted to report that Anya H in Year 9 has made the final squad for the U14’s Warwickshire County Hockey Team.
This has been a process of elimination since October 2018 and the
final squad was decided last week.
They have played lots of tournaments throughout the year but yesterday was their first game as the final squad in preparation for the Midlands Finals in May.
They beat Northamptonshire 6-0.
Well done Anya!
The netball season is officially over after 8 months of training and fixtures.
Years 8-11 have all competed in the South Warwickshire Netball League, with our Year 7’s participating in friendlies in preparation for Year 8! We’ve had some amazing performances across the year groups, with some fantastic wins, but also some unfortunate losses- however, all the students have demonstrated a resilient approach and have continued to develop their skills and confidence.
A special well done to the Year 8 and Year 11 netball team, who both made it through to the League Finals Evening, with the Year 8’s competing for the Plate and the Year 11’s the trophy.
The Year 11’s also played their last ever netball fixture for Studley High, a very emotional game! They have been an absolutely fantastic team to coach for the last 4 years and I have lost count of the amount of times they’ve made me proud! Well done girls, thank you for the endless laughs!!
Also a MASSIVE thank you to our amazing netball captains, Rosie W, Jasmine F, Jasmine C and Rosie W, who have all worked tirelessly this season organising their teams and preparing them for training and fixtures, I would be lost without them.
There will be no more training sessions this school year, so our pupils can either pack away their netball shoes until September, or get themselves involved in a local club. Please speak to me if you’d like any help with this.
Miss Dempster
On Wednesday, we had the pleasure of welcoming Darius Jackson from the University College London (UCL) Holocaust Centre. Darius works with teachers on the various professional development programmes provided by the UCL Centre for Holocaust Education. He also oversees the Initial Teacher Education programme offered by the Centre. However, we were very lucky to receive his last ever training session this week. Darius retires early next week, so we wish him well for his retirement and thank him for the extensive work he has done on behalf of the school as our Holocaust Beacon School Mentor.
This session hosted by the History Department is one of the many “Shine” sessions we run for students interested in learning more about history and expanding their knowledge. Keep an eye out for our next one in May with Dr Tara Hamling from the University of Birmingham!
Darius’ session centered on how we have interpreted and represented Anne Frank. From bored school girl to romantic teenager, interpretations of Anne (which would have been pronounced Anna) have varied greatly from country to country and era to era. This was a real surprise for students and staff alike, as some major misconceptions emerge from these interpretations.
His talk explored the role of Anne Frank’s diary and how we use/explore it today. Darius stated ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’ is often used as a ‘way in’ to studying the Holocaust. The representations generated from this highlight the tensions that exist between the popular ideas about Anne Frank and what she actually wrote. Students then began to unpick these misconceptions and representations as we learnt more and more about Anne. We created a timeline looking at her own life but also the wider context in Netherlands but then the wider Nazi Germany timeline.
Students were amazed:
I can’t believe she wasn’t even Dutch!
I’m still shocked at how she was presented so soon after the Holocaust. They try and make it into a love story!
How complex the story is. They did loads to try and get away in the first place. I would have never known or referred to Anne as a refugee before.
This session highlighted the problems of representations and how it is vital in any modern society that we challenge the interpretations by going back to historical “fact”. This will prove vital for students as they battle an ever changing society, where (with situations like Brexit), history is used as a tool to justify today’s actions.
Mr Hobbis
Last week’s SHINE session focused on “Life After Studley”
Two ex-pupils Lily Newburn and Ayla Naveed-Ata both returned to school to speak to our SHINE pupils and deliver a session based on their school experiences. The girls also gave our students an insight into life after school and the different pathways available to them.
Lily is currently taking A-Levels at Alcester Grammar Sixth form and Ayla is studying Sport and Exercises Sciences at the Heart of Worcestershire College.
This SHINE workshop gave the students the opportunity to research the resources, equipment and everyday necessities required when studying at Post 16 (textbooks, bus passes, smart clothes, driving lessons etc) and how much it could cost to attend sixth form annually.
Here are some excerpts from their presentation:
College is not designed for ‘failures’ or people who have ‘failed their GCSE’s’ as many people who have completed a college diploma go on to study at top-end universities and become engineers, lawyers, teachers… I mean the list goes on.
College offers a really warm and welcoming environment for everyone to get along in, no matter what subject you study. It is also great as within the subject that you study, you get to meet so many new people on your course who share the same interests as you.
..whatever you choose to do after Studley, It is important that you do something that YOU like. You should not base what you do with your life, on your friends and others around you. For example not feeling pressured to go to a sixth form that you don’t want to go to but all of your friends are.
Last week, we took Year 9 GCSE students to The Belgrade Theatre in Coventry to see a matinee performance of Noughts and Crosses; a playtext they have been studying in their GCSE drama lessons. Noughts and Crosses is originally a novel written by Malorie Blackman, adapted for the stage. It tells the story of Callum – a nought and Sephy – a cross and how they steer through a segregated society whilst falling for one another.
Why love, if losing hurts so much?
Teenagers Sephy and Callum sit together on a beach. They are in love.
It is forbidden.
Between Noughts and Crosses there are racial and social divides. A segregated society teeters on a volatile knife edge. As violence breaks out, Sephy and Callum draw closer, but this is a romance that will lead them into terrible danger.
The use of set for this performance proved to be very interesting. It was used in multitude of ways such as a way to hold props, a way for us see news reports which were re-occurring throughout the whole of the performance as the tv screens were integrated into the set. It was also used as a way for us to see characters in different rooms such as a bedroom whilst our main scene was set in the kitchen.
The light used gave a real tense atmosphere to the production as a red light washed over the stage almost constantly. A particular highlight was when Callum was taken down a hallway and the hallway was created using light as a path for him to follow.
The nature of this performance takes on some adult themes such as terrorism and death which were handled by the actors and direction of the piece in a sensitive manner. There were some real heart-wrenching moments which were well communicated by the cast which really made you connect with the characters.
We came away from the piece thoughtful, contemplating how if things were turned on their heads, as they are in Noughts and Crosses, how all aspects of living can be affected.
Ethan wrote this review:
Noughts and Crosses was a matinee play that tells the story of a boy called Callum – who is a nought – and Sephy – who is a cross – and how they had managed to have a relationship whilst being in a discriminated and segregated society, but as violence breaks out in their society, their relationship will lead them both into terrible danger.
The part that I enjoyed was the scene when a bomb had gone off in their town centre and Callum had to run into a crosses only restaurant to save Sephy. The reason why this was my favourite part of the play is because it made me feel quite tense inside as I was wondering what would happen to both Callum and Sephy.
The part of the play that shocked me the most was when Callum was being executed. This is because as Callum was executed, the whole theatre turned dark with a loud bang instantly. The reason why this scene was the most shocking part was because I was not expecting such a quick reaction to such a simple action.
Miss Boyle
On 29th March 2019, the Studley High School English department launched their maiden trip to the Harry Potter Studios Tour. After months in the planning, the day had finally arrived for a group of Year 7 pupils and Year 11 ambassadors to gather together and take the trip down to London.
During the tour pupils got the chance to visit the iconic sets, learn about how various effects were created and even sample some of the world famous Butterbeer! As an extra treat, we were invited to a sneak preview of the newest addition to the tour – the fabulous Gringotts Bank.
Throughout the tour, both Year 7 and Year 11 pupils were a credit to the school and it was such a privilege for members of staff to receive positive feedback about their behaviour. We are really looking forward to the next trip in June when even more pupils will receive their opportunity to visit this magical place.
Chloe F gave an outstanding performance this weekend at the Solihull Theatre where she won ‘Miss Starstruck 2019’.
Each year, two pupils are chosen to receive this award for their hard work and dedication in their performance throughout the year. Historically, this is given to a performer who is consistently outstanding. Chloe takes home the ‘Miss Starstruck’ trophy and keeps it for the year. She also received her own personalised t shirt.
Well done Chloe!
Last week, we took a group of Year 11 pupils to the International Conference Centre, Birmingham, for The National Apprenticeship Event.
The event was designed to inspire future apprentices and our pupils had access to advice, guidance and support throughout the day. The event featured a host of employers and training providers, there to talk about apprenticeship opportunities in the Midlands.
For a list of providers available to our pupils, click here
Last Thursday, in the beautiful sunshine, the majority of our ASPIRE students were spent the afternoon at ‘Laser Conflict’, an outdoor laser tag battleground in Studley.
A new initiative this year, the ASPIRE programme currently has a key group of 27 pupils across Years 7 and 8, who are receiving additional support throughout this academic year. This support is to ensure they do their absolute best in homework, effort, attendance, and/or behaviour, to further improve their academic achievement and reach their full potential.
Someone (Mrs Ingram) thought it would be great for the teachers to get involved too, so with a baseball cap, laser headband and laser gun in hand, both Mrs Ingram & Mrs Wakefield ventured into the unknown. Everyone received their battle briefing, including explanations on how to use the laser gun and the rules of the battleground. They were also informed that the police and army have used similar equipment!
A tournament was created and battle commenced. Teams took part in 4 different scenarios over the 3 hours: King of the Hill, Capture the Flag, Prisoner of War and Last Man Standing for the finale.
All of the students were fantastic, it was a tough relentless workout whilst on the battle ground. They all demonstrated excellent team work, competitive good nature, resilience, communication, strategy, humour, bravery, the list is endless of the skills and the positive approach applied by all the ASPIRE students.
To promote Studley High School’s commitment to Autism Awareness Week we invite all staff & pupils to wear odd shoes to school for one day to promote the theme ‘Different Is Fun!’
Sensible shoes only; no open toes or flip-flops!
Try and be colourful and keep this day fun, remembering the theme and highlighting the support available in school for anyone affected by an ASD. Wearing odd shoes is our way of celebrating with The National Autistic Society.
We are sharing the proceeds for the Odd Shoe Day with ‘STARS’ – Studley Autism Reachout and Support (previously known as SPAN). They are a voluntarily led support group for families who have a member diagnosed – or in the diagnosis process – with an Autistic Spectrum Condition. They provide a range of support and activities for families, many of whom have pupils attending Studley High School, in Studley and the nearby areas.
We look forward to seeing your brilliantly mismatched shoes!
Odd Shoe Day will be next Friday – 5th April, £1 donation to take part
Last week, a group of Year 7 and 8 rugby fans were taken to see the Leicester Tigers by our PE department.
Pupils took part in a question and answer session from former England and Leicester Tigers star, Matt Tait, a training session from an academy coach, watched Tigers Vs Saints and walked onto the pitch at half time.
The boys really enjoyed the trip and gained knowledge from both the coach and former international.
There is a real buzz for rugby around the school as interest grows for this fantastic sport.
The Year 7/8 rugby match vs Alcester Academy went very well this week, with tries from:
….ensuring a 7-1 win!
There was a huge turn out of 20 players and they put all of their knowledge from PE lessons, training sessions and rugby trips to the test.
Watch this space for more rugby wins!
On Friday 15th March, we took 150 Year 8 pupils and 8 staff to the NEC Birmingham to take part in the Big Bang Fair. The aim of the Big Bang Fair is to inspire young people to explore opportunities in STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Maths) based careers and studies. It is the largest celebration of STEM for young people in the UK. It is an award-winning combination of exciting theatre shows, interactive workshops and exhibits and careers information from STEM professionals.
Many awe-inspiring stands had ‘hands on’ experiments and models including racing cars and robots. Pupils were able to take part in and experience scientific models and active present day research projects.
Workshops and exhibits included:
‘Career Captains’ who were working scientists and engineers, walked the floor wearing purple t-shirts, available to answer questions relating to their careers in STEM. Pupils could also attend interactive career shows, hearing from a diverse range of scientists and engineers.
Don’t miss the incredible fireworks extravaganza, being held here at Studley High School on Saturday 9th November.
This weekend, the Silver DofE group went out to Elmley Castle in Worcestershire and scaled Bredon Hill. Despite fighting against (what felt like) gale-force winds, the pupils enjoyed and improved their skill set as they move towards their practice expedition.
The Bronze group were also out and about at the weekend and put their map reading skills to the test whilst they stomped around the surrounding areas of the school.
It was a great weekend for both staff and students, and we are all looking forward to the practice expeditions.
Last week, saw the third of four PD days delivered at school, across the academic year.
Activities for all pupils:
…it’s not what others do for you, it’s what you do for yourself…
This Thursday, 40 Year 10 GCSE History pupils made the short trip to the Palace Theatre, Redditch to attend the production of ‘The Inquisition of Queen Elizabeth’.
The play was divided into four part, each part lead to a workshop session that looked at how the events of the play relate to the GCSE course, offering advice about ways of improving their examination performance. The workshop presenters asked pupils to mark answers to a set of questions covering each of the assessment objectives, as if they were examiners in a moderation meeting. Pupils found their exam marking experience very beneficial, exploring how markers apply the mark scheme to work. Even more impressive, when it was our schools’ turn to feedback we managed to get the exact mark! A good sign for Year 10 heading towards their summer mocks.
The play is framed as a thought experiment in which students are asked to imagine that Queen Elizabeth has been captured by Catholic invaders and put on trial by a newly created English Inquisition. Leading the Inquisition is Cardinal William Allen, leader of English Catholics in exile, whose mission is the re-conversion of England to the Catholic faith. His aim is to destroy the personal, political and religious credibility of the deposed Queen. The witnesses that he summons provide damning testimony concerning all aspects of her reign. To save her own life, Elizabeth must provide a credible defence against their evidence.
Our pupils concluded the Elizabeth should be cleared of the charges against her. Whilst we won’t share the exact ending (as we don’t want to spoil it for other years), it certainly finished with a bang!!
This weekend, we took 12 Year 8 pupils to spend their Saturday at Worcester Magistrates Court.
They took part in the Citizenship Foundation’s mock trial competition.
The event is designed to help improve young people’s life skills, their understanding of the justice system and the legal system.
Whilst the team didn’t make it through to the next round, they put up a great fight with only one of nine teams on the day getting through to the national heat. All pupils contributed outstanding effort and have been preparing since October, for this exciting opportunity.
Thanks to the excellent teamwork of the group, our defendant Freddie Hunter won the ‘Pupil of the day’ trophy. Out of approximately 120 pupils present, this is a wonderful achievement for Freddie, the team, and the school!
Read the article in the press:
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