Message from the Executive Principal, Alastair O'Connor
We have now had 12 days of exams for the Year 11s and Year 13s and I am so proud of the way our students are embracing the wonderful support staff are providing for them with early morning and afternoon booster sessions. They have also enjoyed a breakfast on the morning of an exam. The exam season will continue after the half term break until Friday 21st June.
We have a lot of trips scheduled in for next term and also our end of year celebrations. Further details of trips and arrangements will be sent out to parents in due course.
On behalf of the Senior Leadership Team I would like to wish you all a relaxing half term break.
Tributes to Tom Regan
On Sunday we received the devastating news that one of our amazing teachers, Tom Regan, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly.
Tom had been at Charnwood College (formerly Burleigh Community College) since 2004 and was a much loved and well respected member of our staffing community. He was currently Head of Year 10 and a Physics Teacher in the Science Faculty as well as being involved in school productions, the school choir and football.
Services are being held on Friday afternoon to enable staff, students and governors to pay their respects and to remember a wonderful colleague and friend. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and close friends as this sad time.
BRITISH SIGN LANGUAGE COURSE
Last term 12 students from across all year groups and two members of staff, Mrs Parkins and Miss Brewin, chose to give up their free time to learn a new skill - sign language.
The Hearing Support Team came in for six weeks and taught the group how to communicate with each other using signs and lip movements. Everyone enjoyed learning and it has even been suggested we meet up at regular intervals to practice.
This skill will improve communication with a wide variety of people who have hearing impairments and other additional needs across the school community and society and help them to feel less isolated in school and in other areas of life.
We now have the skills to introduce ourselves, count, talk about our families and spell along with subject names within school. All very exciting!
TRIP TO THE CURVE IN LEICESTER
Mrs Grundy and Miss Rodriguez took a group of Drama students to The Curve in Leicester to watch Blood Brothers on Wednesday 24th April.
Miruna from 9T4 said "It was a well made and thought out performance of the well known play. The play conveyed numerous feelings that I didn't think that I would feel when watching something in the theatre. From the lighting to the set design, from the vocals to the acting, everything exceeding my expectations. The story, I believe was well paced and I liked how we got a feeling for each of the main characters, their backgrounds and their behaviours from the beginning right until their very last moments. It caused me to feel so attached, so close and familiar with them. We all had a great time!"
Royal Opera House Thursday 18th April
50 students from Years 7-12 had the amazing opportunity to visit the Royal Opera House to see Tchaikovsky's famous ballet - Swan Lake. The whole performance was a sight to behold from start to finish, with the opportunity to see a live orchestra and some amazing costumes. Students also enjoyed some posh ice-cream during the interval!
Many thanks to DRET Music for providing the opportunity to witness such a high calibre performance.
We look forward to next year!
Celebrations this Term
Thank you to the Textiles Enrichment Group who have produced a wonderful display for the reception area. The dress is all made from origami flowers.
Congratulations to Joe in Year 8 who has been named UK’s Mini Master Lego Model Builder. Joe beat over 750 opponents in a series of timed builds and challenges at Legoland, Birmingham. Joe’s intricate build included a Minotaur chasing someone up the side of a building (inspired by King Kong), a Kraken taking over the canal, and a stunning mythical dragon (inspired by JRR Tolkien) .
The Boys Basketball Team are the EABL Champions for 2024 after their win against City of London on the 27th March. Lukas, the Boys Basketball Captain said ""Hard work, teamwork, and determination helped us win the EABL title. This season's win is a testament to our dedication. Proud of what we've achieved together!"
Well done to Abbie in Year 10 who is now a Two Star and Lance Corporal in the Army Cadets (and almost Three Star with only her First Aid to complete).
Congratulations to Mia in Year 8 who was gone through to the Kangaroo round of the UK Maths Challenge.
The Charnwood College Team won the DRET Small Schools Table Tennis Competition - congratulations to the team.
Well done to all the students who took part in the Spring Cup on the 23rd April with special congratulations to the U13s Hockey Team and U13s Rugby 7 Team who came in first place
Charnwood College also won the Progress Award on the day. More information on our sporting achievements can be found in the next edition of the Sports Newsletter.
Miss Beachell also wanted to pass on a huge thank you to the four Year 8 Charnwood students who helped at the event, Katie, Siddhi, Jess and Evie-Grace – Year 8 girls. "They were just fantastic! So much enthusiasm, support and initiative which really was very valuable."
Well done to Katie who attended the Cheerleading World Championships with her team EMCA Supersonic in Orlando Florida. competing in the Under 18 Level 5 division with 27 other teams. Teams from all over the world took park including the USA , Canada , Columbia, Australia and more. The week consisted of training everyday prior to the competition, team bonding activities , sports day competitions, a banquet night and some time in the pool!
Congratulations to Erin who is this month's Harrison's Hero winning the Art & Design Award and to Courtney who was last month's winner.
Château de Warsy
Our first trip to the Château de Warsy in France was all we had hoped for and more
The French immersion activities gave the students the chance to practice French and learn some new vocabulary. They learned how to make mayonnaise and crêpes from a French cook, visited the street market in Amiens and the imposing gothic cathedral of Amiens and admired its architecture.
The Somme WW1 sites allowed the students to understand better the impact the war had on the world. We visited the Lochnagar Crater where six thousand people had died in a big explosion and read their names on the little metal plaques placed on the wooden path around the crater. At Thiepval Memorial, students were able to search for the names of the fallen British soldiers and look them up on the walls of the monument. It was an eye-opening experience to see how many young soldiers had died and the students and staff were moved by it. We even walked through well-preserved trenches at Newfoundland Memorial, were able to see a battlefield and how small the distance was between the Canadian and the German. Still standing, there was the Danger Tree, used as landmark and located about halfway into No Man’s Land just a few days before the Battle of the Somme.
We discovered the Château de Warsy in a guided tour and learned about its troubled and sometimes gory history. It was built more than 300 years ago by a Danish family. In WW1 there was a battle on the field behind the building with the two sides on either side of the river and the next owners had to have all the remaining artillery removed. In WW2, the château had been occupied by the Nazis who imprisoned and tortured French soldiers in the basement of the building. At the back of the stables, now the canteen, soldiers had been executed and we could still see the holes made by the bullets. We’ve also learned that in the grange of the château, French were kept hidden from the Nazis, just a few meters away, and eventually survived the war.
The survival and blind trail activities in the woods surrounding the château were challenging, exciting and so much fun to watch. Students worked in teams or pairs, helped each other whilst competing at the same time. At the end of the day, they sat around a big campfire, relaxed, ate marshmallows and played games.
We also visited a Chocolaterie and enjoyed watching the process of making chocolate pralines. At the Boulangerie we learned how to make croissants and had pain au chocolat, other pastries and fresh baguettes.
What a unique, fun and learning trip at Château de Warsy! 'We are so proud of our students at Charnwood College for taking all the opportunities to speak French, eagerly taking part in the challenging activities and impressing the animateurs with their positivity, kindness and respect. We are equally lucky to have an amazing staff team who guided our students every step of the way, creating an incredible and memorable experience to last a lifetime.'
FOOTBALL CAMPS DURING THE HALF TERM BREAK AND FOOTBALL SESSIONS COMING UP
Mr Wilton our Football Programme Lead at Charnwood College will be running some camps during the half term break with Charnwood Rangers FC.
On Thursday 10th May there will be a Girls Only Camp for school years foundation to Year 6 on Thursday 30th May. To book please use the QR code below.
There will also be a summer camp on Tuesday 28th and Wednesday 29th May for boys and girls, foundation to Year 6 - see poster below.
The following football sessions will then start after the half term break for Mini Rangers (ages 3-6), Rangers (ages 7-11) and Inclusive Football (ages 7-14). If you or your friends and family are interested in any of the sessions please register on the QR codes below.
If you have any problems registering for any of the sessions please contact Mr Wilton directly.
BBC Podcast Workshop
During a PD drop down day in April, Mr Greenwood organised the BBC to come in to deliver an exciting podcasting workshop.
Students in the Newspaper Club and a group of our sixth formers were supported in setting up the set, the equipment and recording a video podcast.
A Senior Operations Engineer who works for BBC Radio Nottingham and BBC Radio Leicester said “we all had a great day and were made to feel really welcome. We were all impressed by the students, they got stuck in and came out with some really good ideas and podcasts.“
RECITAL EVENING AT LOUGHBOROUGH GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Charnwood College Musicians delighted their audience with an evening of exceptional music in the Recital Hall at Loughborough Grammar School, on Wednesday 1st May. Performances included songs from Musicals, pop songs, jazz Piano and classical favourites such as Fur Elise by Beethoven. Performers were supported by a sell-out audience, including their instrumental and singing teachers who came to support them.
Mrs Bishop and Mr Gull are incredibly proud of the progress our musicians have made this year. It was a pleasure to see students across all year groups and at all levels, performing with such professionalism and flair. Many thanks to Loughborough Grammar School for hosting us.
SPORTS DAY - 8TH MAY 2024
Our Sports Day this year took place on a hot sunny day in May. House teams competed during the day in Year groups following the programme of events
Mr Strange, Miss Rider and the Sports Team did an excellent job organising the event.
The winning house was Challenge, second Endeavour, third Discovery and fourth Venture. Well done to all the students who took part.
The Sports Committee ran a stall selling cakes and 'Guess the amount of sweets in the Jar'. The students raised £141.00 and this will go towards purchasing spikes for athletics and sports kit.
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK
13TH TO 16TH MAY
Mental Health Awareness Week takes place each May to increase people’s understanding of mental health. This year’s theme is Movement: Moving more for our mental health.
Research has shown that regular physical activity can make us happier and healthier. Our bodies release feel-good hormones when we're active that can reduce anxiety and stress and help us sleep better. By building movement into our working day, we can have a positive impact on productivity and focus.
To show our support students and staff came to school in something green (where possible) on Friday 17th May and an assembly was delivered to students about different ways in which we can move and the benefits that this has on both our mental and physical health.
Our Mental Health First Aid Staff at Charnwood College are Mrs Mortimer, Mr Flood, Miss Warrington-Ramloll, Mr Greenwood and Miss Smith.
SEXTORTION
You may have already picked up the national news story on the crime of ‘Sextortion’.
This type of crime involves an adult offender (often from an organised crime group based overseas) threatening to release nude or semi-nude images and/or videos of a child or young person, unless they pay money, or meet another financial demand, such as purchasing a pre-paid gift card.
Victims of any age and gender can be targets, however a large proportion of cases have involved male victims aged 14-18.
I would therefore like to share with you a letter and poster from the National Crime Agency and poster which provides useful strategies of support and reporting. We will of course be covering this topic in future personal development lessons.
SCHOOL MEALS
Our school catering provider, Caterlink, offer a wide variety of foods and cater for a number of dietary requirements, ranging from vegetarian, gluten free alternatives, halal meals, etc.
After Easter there will be new Spring menus
If your child has any specific dietary requests, or any questions about the food on offered in our canteen, they can speak with either Miss Jamieson (Catering Manager) or Mrs Hall (Academy Operations Manager.
CAN YOU SUPPORT THE YEAR 11 PROM?
Are you having a wardrobe spring clean or have previously worn prom clothes that you no longer need? Then we’d love them for our pre-loved prom shop.
Currently we have just a few dresses but we’d love more:
- Dresses
- Bags
- Girls Shoes/sandals
- Costume jewellery/accessories
- Suits or jackets and trousers
- Boys shoes
- Ties
We would be very grateful for any donations. Please drop any suitable items into reception.
This year's Year 11 prom will be on Thursday 27th June at Donington Park Farmhouse from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. The deadline for the sale of tickets is Friday 7th June.
MANAGING THE SITE
The Charnwood College Gardening Club has been working hard this year to brighten the school surroundings. We have planted 1000 bulbs at the front of school near to reception including narcissi, grape hyacinths, and snakes head fritillary. We have also updated the pots in the quad to reflect the seasons.
The students have worked incredibly hard to maintain the flower beds in school spending a lot of time weeding and watering. The rest of the school community have supported our efforts by buying cakes from our sales which allow us to buy more plants to brighten new areas around school. I would like to thank you to all the students involved and the premises staff for supporting our efforts.
PARKING
Just a reminder that the car park in front of S Block is for permit holders only. Visitors to the Academy will be directed to allocated spaces between Gate 2 and Gate 3.
Parents will not be able to drop off their children at Gate 1 or at Gate 4 after half term to mitigate against risks. If you have any questions please contact the Academy Operations Manager, Mrs Hall.
CLEAN SPACES FOR STUDENTS
There has been an increase in members of the public trespassing on the fields behind the 3G, Sports Centre and MUGA for walking their dogs. Staff have reported an increase in dog fouling on the grass.
To ensure the health and safety of our staff and students, who use the fields for fixtures and school events, new signage will be installed to attempt to deter the dog fouling.
We would like to thank all our parents and students for their support with these changes.
Dates for the diary
- Monday 3rd June - Start of Year 10 and 12 Assessments
- Wednesday 5th June - Year 7 Parents Evening
- Thursday 6th June - Year 8 Vaccinations
- Wednesday 12th June - Birstall Golf Club Trip
- Friday 14th June - Trip to Loughborough University - Art & Design Show
- Tuesday 18th June - Year 11 Art Exhibition
- Thursday 20th June - Science Trip - Big Bank Fair at the NEC
- Thursday 27th June - Year 10 Field Trip to Coventry
- Friday 28th June - Culture Day
- Thursday 4th July - UCAS Fair at Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham
- Friday 5th July - DRET Music Festival
- Monday 8th July - CNAT Sports Studies Trip
- Monday 8th July - Year 8s trip to Lincoln University
- Tuesday 9th July - Summer Cup
- Friday 12th July - Rewards Assembly and Charnfest
Follow us on @CharnwoodColl
Safeguarding over the May Bank Holiday Break
When the Academy is closed there is always someone who can help you.
If you are concerned that a child is suffering, or likely to suffer significant harm, you should contact your local authority safeguarding partnership directly.
Please go to our website www.charnwoodcollege.org for the relevant contact information if you have any welfare concerns.
In an emergency, call 999.
For any other queries, please contact us via cip@dret.co.uk.
If you have a general enquiry during half term please contact the office on office@charnwoodcollege.org