Welcome
Welcome to our last Rowntree Reporter of the year. It is a great round up of the many activities students have been involved in during and outside of the school day. It is always pleasing to see so many students involved in these activities and read about how well they have represented the school. A big thank you to our fabulous staff who work hard to provide these and other opportunities and make them so meaningful. Best wishes for a restful summer holiday. - Mr Hewitt, Headteacher
Lake Garda PE Trip
Encourage wellbeing
After a gap of five years due to the pandemic, we were grateful to be able to get the Lake Garda Tour back up and running this Easter - a trip that has run in school since 2005. There was no rugby this time due to Italian regulations in place at the time of planning, but we took a 45 strong student squad out to play football games against our Year 9 and Year 10 counterparts.
Despite the long coach journey down to Milan, and a couple of days of unusually poor weather in the region, the tour proved to be as successful as any other we have run before. The students behaved magnificently, and showed excellent levels of attitude and respect throughout - all were superb ambassadors for the school. Our coach driver, 'Slid', a veteran of many long-haul coach trips, said that this was the best group he'd travelled with in his career.
Football-wise, we experienced a mixed bag of results, including wins, defeats, and a draw, although the final two games saw defeats on a pitch where snorkels and flippers would have been more appropriate kit than football boots. Although the games definitely wouldn't have been played by a referee in this country, all credit goes to the Italian club FC Villorba and their match official, who pulled out all of the stops to get the matches on and make sure our journey to Treviso wasn't in vain.
"We had a great experience and one that we will all remember! Thanks to all the teachers on the trip we were able to have a great time, meeting Italian football teams as well as the general public and hotel staff who were all very welcoming and kind. We all enjoyed travelling around Italy: we toured around the San Siro, visited Milan and Verona and travelled to Lake Garda where we went to Gardaland and Lazise by the lake. The weather on the whole was great, barring one day in Verona which made the match that evening very memorable! Overall, it was a special trip and a huge thanks to Mr Ireton who was the main organiser of the trip!" - Alex Tew, Year 10
In terms of the other highlights of the trip, we made visits to Milan's San Siro Stadium and the city itself, the beautiful (and untypically wet) city of Verona, and the idyllic lakeside town of Lazise. Sports-wise, Wolfie Bauer's hat-trick against regular tour opponents FC Bussolengo stood out, as did the goalkeeping heroics of both Archie Klar and Mathew Appleton in the same game. Charlie Phillips and Archie Klar picked up the 'Man of the Tour' awards, judged both on performance and attitude, and there should also be a special mention for Oliver Johnson who, despite suffering a nasty injury in the first match and being unable to play in the latter games, showed a superb attitude throughout the rest of the tour. I really could write a piece about every student on the tour though, such were the high standards that were set.
Mr Simpson, Mr Kite, Mr Hatch, Mr Murray, and Mr Middleton formed a magnificent staff team who gave up a week of their holidays to allow this to happen. I can't thank them enough for their efforts. - Mr Ireton
Fundraiser for Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA)
Respect all members of our community
On Sunday 23rd June 2024, seven of our Joseph Rowntree colleagues took part in the Leeds ‘Run For All’ 10km event. We signed up with less than four weeks to go, to raise money for MNDA in support of Paul Bradley, who has been diagnosed with MND and has had to retire early from his ICT teaching at the school.
Some of the team are competitive runners, some run for fun and others had to train in earnest for the event with very little time to prepare!
We ran alongside thousands of other participants, with many good causes being represented, on a warm Sunday morning. The course started by the University of Leeds steps and finished near Millennium Square, where a huge number of supporters (including more of our colleagues from school) cheered us on to the finish line. The atmosphere was fantastic.
Team Bradley was instigated by Emma Bradley, Paul’s wife, along with some close family and friends, and school representatives Mr Alexander, Mr Kite, Mr Simpson, Mr Coleman, Mrs Tindall, Miss Walton, and Mr Cochrane. The team fundraising total for this single event surpassed an amazing £5,700. Paul and Emma, along with their family and friends, have raised a further £8,346 by running various other fundraising activities, including receiving donations in place of wedding gifts, and hosting a couple of charity nights.
Many of these donations have been made by members of our school community, and we would like to express how grateful we are for your support.
Now to begin training for next year…!
UKMT Maths Challenge - Follow on Rounds
Nurture talent
Junior Kangaroo
The following students were invited to participate in the Junior Kangaroo Challenge after securing their place in the Junior Maths Challenge. Several thousand UK-based students qualify from the JMC each year. Certificates of Merit are awarded to the top 25% of students taking part, and all entries receive certificates of qualification. This year the grade boundaries were 103+ for a merit.
Rose Robson-Broadley 95 (Qualification, Best in Year) - Rachel Harker 72 (Qualification) - Reuben Romaniak 112 (Merit, Best in School) - Emily Tomlinson 63 (Qualification)
Pink Kangaroo
The following students were invited to participate in the Pink Kangaroo Challenge after securing their place in the Intermediate Maths Challenge. Certificates of Merit are awarded to the top 25% of students taking part, and all entries receive certificates of qualification. This year the grade boundaries were 74+ for a merit.
Tom Keast 62 (Qualification, Best in School) - Oscar Unstead 46 (Qualification)
To be invited to participate in these challenges already placed the students in the top threshold, and we are really proud of their achievements. - Miss Wilson
Students Shine at York Schools Choral Festival
Nurture talent
On Tuesday 18th June, 15 talented students from our school had the incredible opportunity to participate in the York Schools Choral Festival, held at the University of York. The event was a celebration of musical talent, bringing together young voices from across the area for a day of workshops and performances.
The day began with rehearsing and conducting sound checks in the renowned Jack Lyons Concert Hall. Following this, they participated in a samba workshop in the university's state-of-the-art soundproof studio. Our students quickly mastered complex rhythms and patterns, showcasing their musical versatility and enthusiasm.
After a quick break and some time to work on the infamous school banner competition entry (rewarded with bragging rights only), they attended a singing workshop where they impressed everyone by learning an entire song in three-part harmony in less than thirty minutes.
The afternoon was spent in the Concert Hall, where the students from various schools came together to deliver some truly outstanding choral performances. Among the highlights was the Joseph Rowntree choir, whose confidence and harmonies left the audience in awe.
In addition to the school performances, the audience was treated to two spectacular and inspirational acts by young up-and-coming musicians studying music and drama at the University of York. These jaw-dropping performances were a perfect display of what hard work and dedication to music can achieve.
The festival concluded with a grand ensemble finale, featuring all 270 students from all the schools singing together. The sound of their combined voices filled the concert hall, providing a powerful and memorable end to a day full of musical achievement and camaraderie.
Overall, the York Schools Choral Festival was a resounding success, offering our students not only a chance to showcase their talents but also to learn from and be inspired by their peers and university musicians. It was a day of harmony, rhythm, and a shared passion for music that will be remembered for years to come. - Mr Hill
Year 5 Visit
Respect all members of our community
We were delighted to welcome over 220 Year 5 students from our local Primary Schools on Thursday 27th June for a taste of life at The Joseph Rowntree School. On arrival, students joined in with a 'Big Sing' in Vaudeville Hall, led by Mr Hill and Mr Watts. After a short break, they then followed a timetable of varied lessons including Science, Maths, History, Geography, languages, and English. The students were a credit to their Primary Schools by taking part with great enthusiasm, contributing to the sessions and embracing the new experience - we look forward to welcoming them again at our Open Evening in the autumn term. - Mrs King
Drama
Teach and learn through inspiration
Ockham's Razor Project
In May, a group of Year 9 students who are preparing to study GCSE Drama and/or BTEC Performing Arts were invited to watch Tess by Ockham's Razor at York Theatre Royal. The show was performed using a blend of theatrical elements, including the Company's use of Circus Skills. Students were wowed by the work, and several fellow audience members complimented the school on their outstanding conduct during the performance.
We were then lucky to enjoy a two-hour workshop with Ockham's Razor at school. Three members of the team came in to work with us and inspire our creativity. Again, our visitors were very complimentary about the effort, resilience, and theatre skills of our young people.
Well done Year 9 - The Drama Department are very proud of you! - Mr Coates
They worked from January with Director Elena Tipton, Year 3 Theatre Student. In her words, "I was commissioned through York Theatre Royal to work with some wonderful Year 10 students at Joseph Rowntree School. The performance project was surrounding the impact of the pandemic and technology/social media on today's youth. The project's journey was most enjoyable because the bunch of students were a delight to work with due to their great teamwork skills and bubbly characters. The performance was a huge success, well done to all the Students!" - Mr Coates
Metamorphosis Performance
Year 13 A Level students stunned their audience in May with their examination performance of Steven Berkoff's adaptation of Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis. Presenting their work in front of the AQA Visiting Examiner, the group worked with great creativity and resilience as they explored elements of Berkoff's Total Theatre. The Drama Department were very proud of their brilliant performance, well done! - Mr Coates
National Scientific Thinking Challenge
Nurture talent
In May we had 125 Year 10 students competing in the National Scientific Thinking Challenge, run by the University of Warwick, against nearly 16,000 students from 245 schools worldwide. They completed a challenging set of questions about a range of scientific topics, including ocean pollution and exo-planets. We had a record-breaking year for medal winners too, with students winning six gold, six silver, and 16 bronze medals overall! - Mrs Nichols
Sports Day 2024
Work together collaboratively
The biggest and best sports day ever seen took place on a dull summer’s day, where over 500 students took part in at least one event during the day. There were some excellent performances in the mornings field events, with students throwing the javelin, discus, and shot put, competing in long jump and triple, and for the distance athletes, running 1500m.
In the afternoon, the sun made a brief appearance and shone on the lightning fast athletes taking to the track. All students who competed earned points for their house, while the top three students wore their winning medals with pride on the podiums, receiving rapturous applause from their supporters. All the students showed excellent enthusiasm and positivity throughout the day, whether supporting or competing, and were kept well entertained by Mr Hatch commentating on the microphone.
Overall Winners
1st: Oak
2nd: Hazel
3rd: Willow
4th: Aspen
Students who got the most points on sports day won the Victor / Victrix Ludorum, which was presented to them in our sports assembly last week. Congratulations to Daniel De Simone & Esther Horne (Year 7), Reuben Lowson & Bethannie Ahmad (Year 8), Kian Bond & Connie Wood (Year 9), and Harley Waddington & Amaia Hall (Year 10)
Well done to all of the students who took part and to the staff who helped on the day. - Mr Simpson
Girls Spanish Netball & Football Tour
Encourage wellbeing
During the Easter holidays, Team PE took a group of 38 Year 8, 9, and 10 girls on their first Sports Tour to Benalmadena, Spain. The girls opted to participate in football or netball, and over the course of five days they took part in training at a variety of Spanish sports venues.
The footballers completed training every day, impressing the local coaches, and played in two competitive matches under the Spanish sun. Their first game was hard fought against Malaga, while their second game was against a local village side which they won 5-0 with a Hat Trick from Bella Moore and many outstanding performances including Evie Ash and Sienna Starkey. The girls demonstrated fantastic sportsmanship and performances throughout. On the final day the girls took part in a tournament with other English schools, and both the U13s and U15s sides came runners up, with Bella Moore being awarded player of the tournament.
The netballers took part in training every day, where they saw their skills advance during sessions with UK coaches in an air conditioned stadium. The teams then split into U13 and U15 and completed their day-long tournaments. The U13s saw some success across their day, coming third overall, and both teams took part as the only state school, applying all the skills they built up over the week in addition to extreme resilience and sportsmanship. The U15’s fought hard though, playing in temperatures as high as 23C with little shade. They had a tough draw, but never let their heads go down and demonstrated excellent gamesmanship and sportsmanship throughout. Players of the tournaments included Ava Carter, Bethannie Ahmad, and Amelia Tiffany.
When the girls weren’t training or competing, they enjoyed relaxing and having fun at the pools, waterpark, and other facilities within the hotel. We went to an evening disco at another hotel, and visited the designer outlet for a bit of retail therapy before the flight back home.
All the girls were an absolute credit to the school and displayed incredibly positive, supportive, and mature attitudes with each other throughout. It was an honour to watch each individual thrive in a new setting, build on new skills, and embrace opportunities thrown their way. It’s fair to say we hope this trip won’t be the last! - Mrs Parker, Mrs Tindall, Miss Bevan and Ms Lloyd
North Yorkshire Sport Girls Wellbeing Festival
Encourage wellbeing
On Thursday 6th June, a group of 34 Key Stage 3 students went to Dalby Forest for the North Yorkshire Sport Girls Wellbeing Festival. The girls took part in lots of alternative activities including Bounce, Dance Classes, Kin Ball, Archery, inflatables, and circus tricks.
The day also involved a motivational talk from a former Olympic Swimmer, and the girls were able to talk to him openly about his experience and career. The focus of the day was to promote positive friendships, build self-esteem, and highlight the positives of taking part in physical activity. When not taking part in the fitness classes, the girls could have a look around the festival, complete craft activities, and talk to experts about some of the issues young people face.
All the girls got really involved with the activities on offer, including the paint throwing at the end, and had really positive attitudes throughout the day. It was lovely to see the girls integrating and enjoying themselves outdoors. - Mrs Tindall and Mrs Hughes
Careers Events
Overcome obstacles to success
Career Ready
The career ready programme continues for our Career Ready cohort. This term they attended a Resilience workshop at the LNER stadium, and enjoyed a stadium tour prior to the insightful workshop. Their second workshop was at Portakabin, and focused on Preparing for Internships and Work Experience. During the workshop they toured the vast York site.
Students are continuing with their employer mentoring and preparing for their internships, which take place during the summer holiday.
Year 9 Employability Workshop
Some of our year 9 students took part in an employability workshop with Wildhearts and Nestlé. This interactive session focussed on an insight into industry, and understanding how personal attributes can be transferable to the world of work.
Year 7 Enterprise Challenge
Year 7 enjoyed their enterprise challenge day, where they were tasked with designing a new chocolate product based on 'A celebration of York'. Within their teams, students designated themselves roles such as project manager, finance manager, and design manager, and had to work together to plan everything from branding and advertising to costings and flavour. The students produced some amazing designs and ideas!
Hospitality Association York launch
We are delighted to have joined the Hospitality Association York's 'Hospitality Connect' initiative. Ten local schools have been partnered up with local hotels to deliver a range of activities that support students in understanding the hospitality industry and the breadth of education and career options available to them. This is a long term partnership that will include some fun and informative collaborations with our partner hotel, Radisson York. The school and hotel have already collaborated on some activities, and look forward to the events planned for next academic year.
Year 10 Mock Interviews
Year 10 completed mock interviews ahead of their work experience. The feedback from local employers who came into school all commended the students for their positivity and maturity during the interviews.
Year 10 Work Experience
Year 10 work experience week was a triumph. The feedback from employers and students was overwhelmingly positive, and we are so proud of how our students conducted themselves during their placements.
'I am extremely grateful to all the people involved in setting up the work experience, as well as helping me and walking me through the experience whilst I was there. I definitely have learnt a great deal and benefited from being in a work environment. I also learnt about the certain career pathways which each person went through to get to that stage, which was really interesting and has definitely helped me create a better picture for my education and how I will get to my dream job.' - Year 10 Student
'At the start of the placement, the student was unsure what engineers in our field and industry did on a day to day level. He listened intently, went away and undertook his own research, and also pushed himself to get as involved as much as he could in every seminar, workshop, or general engineering conversation. His technical skills advancement was staggering to say he was only with us one week and his behaviours were excellent.' - Employer Quote
Year 9 visit to York St John University
Year 9 all enjoyed a visit to York St John University where they learnt about routes into higher education and uni life. They had a campus tour, and spoke to current students about their experiences of university life.
Year 12 Nestlé visit
Our Year 12 business studies students were invited to an insight day at Nestlé. During the day, the students took part in a mixture of interactive sessions, looked at personal development and interview skills, had an overview of Nestlé, and heard from current apprentices how they ended up at Nestlé and what their day to day roles look like.
Year 12 Careers Week
The last week of term hosted Year 12 careers week. During this jam-packed week, students had a speed networking morning where they had the chance to speak to over 30 employers about pathways into their sectors and career options, attended UCAS and apprenticeship talks, and went out on work experience. A busy but beneficial week for year 12!
Alumni
If you are a former Joseph Rowntree student and would like to join our Alumni, please register your interest here: https://forms.gle/VPYgd3PXt7TjNRbXA