Welcome
Welcome to our festive edition of the Rowntree Reporter and I hope you enjoy reading about the many activities students have been involved in during this term, both within school and in the community. It is great to see so many students from all year groups involved in a wide range of activities. A special thank you to our staff as well who do a great job of providing students with such fabulous opportunities. Best wishes for the festive season - Mr Hewitt, Headteacher
York Minster Christmas Tree Festival
Work together collaboratively
For the second year running, we have managed to secure a place in the York Minster Christmas Tree Festival. It's a wonderful and festive free event for York residents (please make sure you bring proof of address!) that showcases beautifully decorated trees by local schools, organisations, and community groups, running until 5th January.
This year, I'm so proud of a group of Year 8 students who have regularly attended a lunchtime club to help create beautiful recycled Christmas decorations for the festival. It's a fantastic opportunity to see their creativity and incredible talent, and we'd love your support - head down and vote for your favourite tree! - Miss Wrigglesworth
Christmas Concert 2024
Nurture talent
On Thursday 12th December, the school enjoyed a Christmas Concert in Vaudeville. A fantastic evening of talent graced our stage, featuring music, dance, and drama, performed and hosted by students from Year 7 to 13. Our audience enjoyed musical items from a range of ensembles and bands in school. Students performed three brilliant pieces choreographed by our Dance Club. Year 7 Drama students brought us a reflection on Christmas Presents vs Presence, and we featured an extract from Blood Brothers by two of our GCSE students. The concert was closed beautifully by the School Choir, with ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’. Well done, and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all! - Mr Coates
In our final week of term, the student leadership team created a focus on celebrating the community, both in school and in our local area. A wide range of events and activities took place that highlighted our many links with our local community, and celebrated the fantastic work of our students in school.
We have taken part in two litter picks in our local area, both in Haxby and New Earswick.
Members of the Student Leadership team also visited a number of local businesses and charities in Haxby to deliver Christmas cards and small gifts for the festive season.
Within our school itself, each year group celebrated in our rewards assemblies, where our Key Stage 4 band entertained all year groups with a performance each morning.
In addition to this, Key Stage 3 students with top marks in Attitude to Learning and Independent Learning grades were invited to our infamous "Rewards Breakfast" as a thank you for all of their consistent hard work across all subjects.
We also 'surprised' students at lunchtime with a Christmas Karaoke session led by Mrs Clarke and Mr Cochrane in our school hub. At both lunches, this really brought the whole school together as a community, and was exceptionally well received by students!
We have also had a huge collection of food items brought into school by both staff and students, which will be delivered to York Changing Lives for distribution over the festive period. This will be alongside a donation from our Christmas Jumper day on the final day of the year.
As a final part of our community week, the 6th Form created over 50 shoe boxes filled with toiletries, hygiene products, and food items that are being delivered to the St Chads Shoe box appeal in Leeds. Boxes have been carefully created for different age groups and genders, including boxes for children and young adults. The common room was brimming with brightly wrapped shoe boxes waiting for delivery this last week - thank you to everyone who supported.
A huge thank you to the large number of students and staff who have contributed to our community week! There has been so much going on, all celebrating what is great about The Joseph Rowntree School and its local community. - Mrs Clarke
Belgium & France Battlefields Trip
Respect all members of our community
The World War One Remembrance Battlefields Visit took place again in October, and as usual our students really did us proud showing excellent levels of respect and behaviour throughout the visit.
The visit took us to both France and Belgium. We went to the Somme region of France where we visited Beaumont-Hamel, the Ulster Tower, the Thiepval Memorial, Tyne Cot Cemetery, and the underground mines at Arras.
In Belgium, our itinerary took in Essex Farm Military Dressing Station, Langemarck German Cemetery, Tyne Cot Military Cemetery, the British trenches at Hill 62, and Bayernwald's German trenches. We also visited the historic battlefield town of Ypres for ice-creams and Belgian Waffles, plus of course our attendance at the Menin Gate ceremony where two of our students and Mr Cochrane proudly laid a remembrance wreath. In amongst all this, there was also time for a little shopping and sightseeing in the picturesque city of Brugge.
Thank you to all of the students for making this such an enjoyable visit to be a part of, and to Ms Shepherd, Mr Cochrane, Ms Mathar-Martinez, and Mrs King who gave up their time to allow the trip to happen. - Mr Ireton
Wellbeing Ambassadors at The Joseph Rowntree School
Encourage wellbeing
Last academic year, Joseph Rowntree was very pleased to announce the arrival of the Wellbeing in Mind Team. Wellbeing in Mind are a team of NHS staff who work in schools to provide advice, support, and training to staff on wellbeing issues, as well as working directly with students. Students met them in assemblies over recent months, and parents had the chance to speak to them at open evenings and parent information events. As part of their role in school they have been working with Mrs Day, Joseph Rowntree’s Mental Health Lead, to set up a team of Wellbeing Ambassadors. A call for volunteers was put out to students in assemblies and SMSC sessions to apply for the role in the Summer Term. Mrs Day and the Wellbeing in Mind team were overwhelmed with the numbers of students who applied and the very high quality of applications. The Wellbeing Ambassadors have met regularly over recent months, and have some exciting projects in the pipeline.
Sophia Cocker (8TMI) has written a report about her experience as a Wellbeing Ambassador so far, as well as her reasons for wanting to be involved in the project. - Mrs Day
I applied to become a wellbeing ambassador because I was inspired by my Grandma, who has always helped others and put their needs before her own. This role also provides a great opportunity to gain early experience, as I aspire to be a primary school teacher in the future. To apply for the position, I completed a Google Form explaining my motivation for wanting the role. I highlighted my previous experience as a wellbeing ambassador in primary school and explained why I believe I am well-suited for this position. Recently, our team has been working together to brainstorm ways to direct individuals seeking support for their mental health. We received training on what ‘wellbeing’ means and studied the five ways to wellbeing, which can be challenging to remember! Looking ahead, we plan to clearly advertise where to get support by creating a bulletin board, organizing a Wellbeing ambassador Assembly, and implementing many more exciting initiatives. - Sophia Cocker - Year 8
Kingswood Residential Visit
Encourage wellbeing
This half term, 130 Year 8 students completed a 3 day residential to Kingswood Dearne Valley. The students enjoyed a range of activities including high ropes, rock climbing, orienteering and team building skills. The students had a wonderful time and were a credit to themselves. The effort, attitude and behaviour they showed over the 3 days was fantastic! - Ms McLaughlin
Year 12 A Level Drama and Theatre
Teach and learn through inspiration
Year 12 - Sophocles' Antigone
Students have been engaging with Sophocles' Antigone this year. The play, approximately 2,500 years old, still resonates with audiences today and has much to offer on the individual vs state debate. In ancient Greek Theatre, the Chorus would be homogenised - moving, speaking, even breathing - as one. We tried this out in a workshop setting, and actually realised how challenging this is. A Greek Chorus would work on this for almost a year between the Theatre Festivals - we had about twenty minutes! Well done Year 12. - Mr Coates
York St John University NSPCC 'It's Not Love'
The Drama Department have enjoyed working in collaboration with York St John on this project again this Autumn Term. Second year University students have worked in school with a Year 9 Drama group for a brilliant series of five sessions. The resources are used nationally by schools, and enable young people aged 11-14 to explore the impact of the decisions that the characters make and investigate potential allies and intervention moments, while also exploring the questions surrounding what a healthy and unhealthy relationship is.
The resources seek to prevent harmful sexual behaviours and coercive control, that may lead to adult domestic violence and abuse in intimate partner relationships. The workshops have also included some fun drama games and activities, and were even praised by parents during the recent online Parents Evening. Well done to everyone involved. - Mr Coates
Media Studies Events
Aesthetica UNESCO Film Festival
Teach and learn through inspiration
Wednesday 6th November
On Wednesday 6th November, Year 12 Media Studies students attended a trip to the Aesthetica film festival in York city centre.
Students attended talks in various venues around the city, which covered such topics as 2D & 3D animation, the use of visual effects in film, and how to develop your creative ideas.
They also watched a series of short documentary films with themes of family, survival, and LGBTQI+ issues. The students had a wonderful time and gained some valuable insights into the creative media industry. - Miss Thorpe
Thursday 7th November
After the fantastic trip the day before, we took 52 students into the city centre to the UNESCO Aesthetica festival for another day of fantastic media experiences.
Students were treated to five short films shown at York Theatre Royal to begin with, with wide ranging themes from contemporary dance, moral dilemmas in rural Ireland, to a real life story of a soldier trying to survive in Ukraine during the war with Russia.
Following the short films, students moved on to the Guildhall where they met with people working in 16 different creative media industries. Our students asked some brilliant career and industry-related questions, and had the opportunity to demo equipment and talk to the vendors. - Miss Thorpe
Sunday 10th November
The Joseph Rowntree School was one of five schools in York to take part in a filmmaking program, working with Aesthetica Short Film Festival, PQA (Pauline Quirke Academy), and Viridan FX
Students received a motivational careers talk from Cherie Frederico (ASFF director), who talked to them about York's UNESCO of Media Arts status, inspiring creative industries and local talent in York.
PQA came in to the school to host a series of filmmaking workshops, where students were able to work as camera operator, sound assistants, and boom operators. They also had the chance to create storyboards and write screenplays using professional software. Students collectively made a short film in the drama genre.
Their finished short film was screened in City Screen Picturehouse (Sunday 10th November), along with the other participating schools' work, followed by a tea and cake reception at Pitcher & Piano. - Miss Thorpe
Viridian FX School Visit
On Tuesday 10th December, the Viridian FX team gave a talk to over 80 GCSE and A level Media Studies students, alongside a select group of Year 9 students nominated by their teachers.
Ben Louden, Head of Studio and VFX Supervisor, delivered a presentation discussing how visual effects are used to create scenes in the HBO series House of the Dragon and shared the processes involved in adding visual effects to films such as Heart of Stone.
He discussed career routes into the visual effects industry, the opportunities that come with the job (from being a small independent company based in York doing local projects to working with HBO, Netflix, and ITV), and gave advice to students wanting to start out in the filmmaking industry. Ben also held a Q&A afterwards, which allowed our students to gain some fantastic insights in the creative sector. - Miss Thorpe
Drax Geography Field Trip
Teach and learn through inspiration
This term has seen Year 9 out on their Geography trip - seeing geography in action first hand at Drax Power Station and Skylark Nature Reserve in Selby. Drax Power Station provides the most renewable power of any single location in the UK - some 14 terawatt-hours, or enough electricity to power the equivalent of four million homes. On the tour of the facilities, students (in their full safety attire), witnessed the four operational boilers, each as tall as a 15-storey office block, and a main chimney taller than the London Eye.
Students were immersed in the fascinating world of energy generation. From start to finish, participants gained valuable insights into the intricate energy generation process employed at Drax, witnessing first-hand how electricity is produced on a massive scale. Students also learnt about Drax’s social impact within local communities and the pivotal role biomass plays in ensuring energy security and renewable power, as well as a look into their future project - the carbon dioxide removal and storage which will mitigate climate change and foster a cleaner, more sustainable energy landscape.
The afternoon part of the day trip involved students exploring the Skylark Nature Reserve, which was covered in beautiful white snow on the first day. Here, students had the opportunity to get their hands dirty and learn about conservation in the UK. Students are to be commended for their excellent behaviour and enthusiasm on the trip - staff even enjoyed the competitive singing between the boys and the girls on the bus journey home. Who knew JRS had such talent!
Mrs Bailey-Farragher would like to thank parents/carers for supporting the trip and the wonderful staff who made the trip memorable for students: Ms MacLeod, Ms Beck, Ms Mullis, Ms Dawson, Ms Venn, and Ms Duxbury. - Mrs Bailey-Farragher
Remembrance Day
Respect all Members of Our Community
On Friday 11th November, the school once again gathered together to pause and reflect in our annual Remembrance ceremony.
At 11 AM, the hub came alive with a special ceremony that was live-streamed to every classroom. Student council representatives, along with visitors and classes, gathered to witness the event. Our inspiring student leadership team, backed by talented musicians and vocal groups, led the ceremony. Adding to the occasion, members of local cadet groups proudly wore their uniforms and joined the celebration.
Thank you to all the students and members of staff who were involved in this important event.
Dungeons and Dragons at The Joseph Rowntree School
Encourage wellbeing
The world's most popular tabletop roleplaying game has been a roaring success here at Joseph Rowntree this year. What has previously been a small project with between 5-10 players, has exploded into a regular weekly event with 20+ regular players and four ongoing campaigns that new players are welcome to come and join.
I wanted to take this opportunity to really thank and congratulate the fantastic players and their hard working gamemasters who have stepped up to make the club a success this year.
Through their positive attitude and kindness, a really friendly atmosphere has been created with no barriers to entry. All are welcome, from the battle-hardened veterans of dozens of dungeons to the curious novice looking to build their first character.
How do I get involved?
We have at least one open table each week that always has places for newcomers, and we’re actively recruiting gamemasters to run new campaigns. You can show up by yourself, or as a group, and we will work to get you organised and rolling 20-sided dice as quickly as possible. There’s no requirement to bring any game pieces, sheets, or rulebooks - we have our own collection, but you're welcome to bring your own dice if you like! - Mr Turner - Gamemaster In Chief
D&D Testimonials
A sample of student voices from our club regulars.
“An awesome time, I learnt how to run my own games, the club made it really easy to pick up.”
“An exciting fantasy roleplay game. I look forward to going to it every week.
"A story game where you can do anything you can imagine.”
“I cast FIREBALL!”
“An amazing club filled with happy, understanding people, always look forward to coming here!"
York Civic trust Public Speaking Competition
Nurture talent
On Wednesday 20th November, two of our fantastic Year 9 students (Olivia W and Arabella B) took part in a public speaking competition run by York Civic Trust. They were up against schools from across York, all putting forward their case on the history of York. Olivia and Arabella debated an interesting idea: York is a city with a past, but no future. Both girls expertly discussed their side of the debate, responding to each other's ideas in detail and with some really well researched information to back up their points! The girls even included some props to keep the audience on their toes, such as a University of York teddy bear, a picture of the recently deceased but iconic Longboi, and a poo emoji cushion to remind us all of the spectacular smell at the Jorvik Viking centre! Arabella and Olivia delivered their speeches with such confidence (and comic timing), and should be incredibly proud of themselves. - Miss Caffyn and Miss Shirley
Sporting Achievment
Recognise excellence
Year 11 Boys Football
This term has seen some great sporting achievements. The Year 11 boys football team, who since September have a 100% win record, won their mini league and will now compete for the overall district title in the new year. They are a wonderful bunch of boys, and have really gelled into an exciting team to watch during their time with the school. We will keep you updated with their progress in the next issue! - Mr Kite
Year 9 Girls Sport Leadership
This term, Year 9 girls took part in sessions to promote how to be good sport leaders. They learned various games they could use when going into local primary schools to lead sporting activities next term. - Mrs Tindall
Key Stage 3 Boys Squash
Our Key Stage 3 boys squash team played in the first round of the Schools National Championships for this term, and came out as winners. They will go on into the next round of the competition in the new year - well done boys! - Mr Kite
Hockey
Our under 14 Hockey team, and the Year 7 & 8 Hockey team, have had a great start to the year, playing at both Queen Margarets and Tadcaster Grammar school this term. They have shown great commitment, and have performed excellently. - Mrs Tindall
Girls Football
The girls football teams have been a huge success this term, and a big thanks must go out to Miss Bevan and Mr Rudd for training the girls on a Thursday.
Both the under 13 and under 15 girls teams made it through to the next round of the Country Cup. The under 15 squad beat Ripon Grammer 4-1, and the under 13's beat Bedale High 4-1 at home with a fantastic performance from both Year 7 and Year 8 students alike.
The Year 7 girls football team also won their first tournament of the year at Huntington School. - Mrs Tindall
Cross Country
This term, the school took part in the York and district cross country round. A number of our students finished in the top 15 in the district, and that has earned them an invite to the next round which will pit them against people from the whole county. Well done to everyone who took part. - Mr Kite
Netball
At the end of November, our Year 7 A team and Year 8 B team played their first games against local rivals, Millthorpe school. Both teams put in excellent performances, playing with skill and determination and our Year 7s managed an incredible 11-0 win. Well done to both teams!
The Year 10 Netball team have had a fantastic start to the season, and are currently first in their league. They have beaten Queen Margarets 19-12 and Fulford 10-9, whilst narrowly losing to All Saints 10-7 in a tight contest. I would like to add a special shout out to Becca Ford and Bethannie Ahmad for playing up a year group to support the Year 10 squad! - Mrs Tindall
Rugby
Boys from both Year 10 and Year 9 competed this term in their respective Rugby league tournaments, representing the school superbly with some incredibly determined and committed performances. There are more tournaments in the new year, and we are hoping that all year groups will be taking part. - Mr Kite
Gold Medal Success
Alex Tew in Year 11 has won three Gold Medals in the National Summer Swimming Meet in the 400m, 800m and 1500m races. This means Alex is training with the Swim England National Development Programme, and was recently in a training camp in Mallorca with his local club, York City Baths Club. Alex was also successful in the open water events, winning Gold in the Regional and Yorkshire competitions, and placing sixth overall in the open water 3km Nationals held in Rotherham. Well done Alex! - Mr Simpson
Careers Events
Overcome obstacles to success
Student and Parent/Carer Careers Fair
On 11th December, we held our third annual student and parent/carer careers fair evening, where we hosted stands from many local employers and local education providers, giving students the opportunity to find out about post 16 and post 18 pathways such as college, sixth form, university, apprenticeships, and employment. We also heard talks from ASK about apprenticeships, and Leeds University about the benefits of higher education.
With over 145 families in attendance, it was a busy evening. Thank you to all who attended. - Mrs Hernandez