Welcome to the July 2024 issue of our COAST magazine.
Summer Independent Learning Challenge
We want all of our students to be independent learners who go above and beyond their learning opportunities in the classroom to develop their understanding and practice skills independently. This is why this year we have launched our Independent Learning Challenge so if you hear a cry of "I'm bored, I've got nothing to do!" why not encourage them to take part.
All students from Years 7 to 10 and welcome to participate. There are 3 different levels of tasks which are worthy of a different number of points depending on the level of challenge. As a little motivation we've decided to reward all students who come back to us in September and show their tutors their completed tasks with a goodie bag and a special prize for the student in each year group who receives the most points.
We can't wait to see what you can achieve over the Summer break!
Mrs Gale
Year 7 visit to Burley
On Tuesday, the 2nd, and Thursday, the 11th, of July, the Year 7 students gathered for two spectacularly sunny days in Burley in the New Forest. They explored the meanders of the Mill Lawn Brook, which was only half an hour away from the picture-perfect village, and indulged in a sweet treat - ice cream!
Upon the arrival of a two-storey coach, we entered the wonderful woods of the New Forest, led by Mr. Wilkinson, Mr. Smart, and Mrs. Robinson. After splitting into two groups, we set off in different directions; one group headed towards the village, while the other group went to Mill Lane.
Burley is a quaint village situated in a tranquil and picturesque woodland on the southeast coast of England. It is home to an unusual abundance of witch gift shops, tearooms, and a luxurious vintage car garage. Additionally, there is a winery and sweet shop, offering ample attractions for a village of its size. The reason for this variety of establishments is primarily due to tourism. Traffic counts and environmental quality surveys were conducted to determine the role of Burley as a settlement.
Also, you can’t forget the ice cream shop with a huge range of flavours!
Quotes from some of our tasters!
“10/10”
“The Oreo ice cream is really good”
Mill Lane Brook is a beautiful sight to behold, with a woodland walk leading to an expansive, green field. Horses can be seen grazing, while a meandering river winds its way through the meadow. The wonder of the river is evident, as it almost curves into an oxbow lake. Students from Year 7 participated in activities that included entering the river to measure its velocity and depth, as well as conducting an experiment to track the path of the water.
In conclusion, Burley is a fantastic trip for everyone, whether you want to indulge in soft serve or view the sights of a majestic river. Burley has it all, making it a fulfilling outing. I would rate it 9/10!
By Lily H, Year 7
Year 10 Mock Interviews
During the last full week of term, the Year 10 students had an exciting opportunity to participate in mock interviews with employed and retired representatives from local businesses and educational establishments. We were grateful to receive support from the following companies: Boskalis Westminster Ltd, No Limits, Barton Peveril Sixth Form College, PETA, ADAM Architecture, South Hampshire College Group, Adams Carpentry Limited, YMCA Fairthorne Group, Southampton City Council, Ashley Archer Face & Body Art, and Richard Taunton Sixth Form College. The day could not have happened without these individuals support, I am extremely grateful.
The event went brilliantly. It was an opportunity for the students to show their skills and strengths.
Our visitors were so impressed with the quality of the interviews throughout the day…
“Very confident and clear. Great personality. Have a great future in sport.”
“…was a very confident young man and has ideas on his future aspirations. He expressed himself well.”
“Well presented. Well spoken. Attentive. Articulate. A little anxious perhaps but generally made a good impression.”
“….came across really well and said she was nervous. I had a great conversation with you. Remember is it ok to be nervous.”
“Keep up the great work! Well done and best of luck for the future!”
Students have said they appreciated the experience as well and feel a little more prepared for their college interviews next academic year.
Well done Year 10, you did yourselves proud!
Year 7 Update
The Summer Term has been a busy one with a residential visit in May 2024 to Little Canada on the Isle of Wight and a day trip to Paultons Park in July 2024. As well as the inflatables for rewards on Monday 22nd July 2024.
I am very proud of the positive attitude to learning displayed by individual members of the year group during their lessons, Sparx, Reading+ independent learning as well as during tutor sessions and many Year 7 students were recognised for their achievements during the Awards Achievement Evening on Wednesday 17th July 2024.
The top ten Year 7 students with the most reward points in the previous week are listed below:
1st Maisy O
2nd Talaina B
3rd Piper M
4th Grace S
5th Layla R
6th Natalia M
7th Liam L
8th Lola S
9th Luke A
10th Giovanni C
The Top Tutor Attendance for this term goes to 7AN and 7VS, both with 91% attendance. Thank you to everyone for working so hard to make it into school on time this half-term. We appreciate all of your efforts and this term, Mrs Cull our Attendance Lead will be awarding the tutor group with the most improved attendance with a hamper for the whole tutor group to enjoy during the final tutor time session on Wednesday 24th July 2024.
Year 7 have now completed their final term of their first year at OAS and it has been a pleasure to watch them grow and develop during their time at secondary school. Many of them are already looking forward to Year 8 and to a new set of challenges as they continue on their journey at Sholing.
Well done Year 7. Good luck for Year 8!
Mrs Rolls, Head of Year 7
Year 8 Update
As we come to the end of term, it is unbelievable that a whole year has passed since I started as your child’s Head of Year. I genuinely feel like I have been with them forever and I have thoroughly enjoyed each passing day along with the highs and the lows of the teenage brain. They have been amazing and have come so far this year, excelling in attendance, behaviour and maturity. I am so very proud of them.
Trips & Rewards
We have certainly been busy ranging from Geography trips, Lulworth cove, Science extravaganza, movies, ice-creams and not forgetting Chessington. We have the bounce department coming in on the 22nd of July for a whole day of fun! This will include an obstacle course, a 10ft slide, sumo superhero wrestling kits and much more, I know they will really enjoy this and what a fun way to end the term. On a personal note, I cannot wait!!! And of course, the staff are very excited too!
A special thanks to our lovely parental engagement group also. We have met a few times now and it has been brilliant with lots of involvement from our parents and I very much look forward to hearing more of your ideas to continually improve the year group.
With SFX rewards up and running rewards are certainly under way and the Year 8s have been buzzing about this! Students can earn extra reward points for:
SFX shout outs
WOW work
Positive phone call home
With out new ClassCharts shop students are lining up to collect their goodies each week. It is so lovely to see them all super excited and wanting to gain more reward points.
During our assemblies each week, we also reward our students with special shout-outs. These recognitions come from a variety of sources such as teachers, acts of kindness, and personal favourites like students with the most tutor points. Additionally, we have tutors battling it out to see who has accumulated the most reward points.
Attendance has been fantastic within Year 8 and I wanted to personally thank the parents for continuously working with me to ensure the best outcome possible for them. As I have often said I cannot do my job effectively without the support I receive daily from yourselves.
Our winners!
Kisali A, Phoebe C, Elliot B, Tyler C O, Alfie C, Joe C, Winston H, Faye C, Testimony L, Emily J, Moyinoluwa O, Rosie C, Liam P, Jack R, Poppy Y.
I personally would like to say thank you to parents, staff and students alike for all their hard work, determination and resilience. Your child has been a true credit not only to yourselves but to the whole school community. I am so very proud of Oasis Academy Sholing family and how we continue to work alongside each other to always put our values first and foremost.
Have a restful summer break 😊
Miss H Sydenham
Year 9 Update
As we come to the end of another year, filled with events to be proud of and much to celebrate, I want to express my gratitude to our exceptional students and their families for their unwavering support. It has been a pleasure and source of pride to witness the progress of our students while serving as Head of Year. Our dedication lies in providing our students with the best opportunities to advance and reach their full potential, with a key focus on their attendance. Improved attendance directly correlates with enhanced progress and enables us to offer them the necessary support. We have hosted numerous celebrations to commend their outstanding attendance, ranging from pastries and hot chocolate to cookies and milkshakes, and the always popular ice cream van!
I’d like to take this opportunity to give a special shout out to our students that have maintained an amazing 100% attendance across the year:
- Gyan G
- Oliver H
- Hayden H
- Emmanuel J
- Jack M
- Adaeze P
- Evie W
We also had many students in the 99% category, and so a big shout out to them too!
There have been some wonderful departmental experiences across the year, in which our Year 9 cohort have shone. Pulling together all of their cheffing skills from across the year, Food technology put on a culinary week of nutritional experiences for the students to thrive in.
Geography have hosted two splendid events, one including a group of skilled geographers in competition with the rest of the city (and coming an incredible 5th place!). The other, an inspirational trip to Kew Gardens where they were exposed to some stunning sites and botanical knowledge.
Alongside this, we have had a fabulous delve into Spanish culture. With a week of Spanish themed activities and brilliant day at Itchen College, where a group of Year 9’s were immersed in the possibilities of how learning languages can give you access to a world of opportunities.
Our budding artists have been creating some gorgeous pieces in the Art studios, which have tied in with the Languages department, with a focus on Mexico – I’m sure you’ll agree the standard has increased each year (along with some excellent costume design for Lord of The Flies).
And, with a slight bias, there have been some brilliant Science pieces across the year, all supported with our trip to LifeLab (with our resident koala mascot).
The launch of the ClassCharts shop this year has been a roaring success! The students have been collecting points in vast numbers with our top 30 scorers below. In addition to this, the buzz around the Fab4 prizes has continued to keep the students eager to achieve and be rewarded for the successes.
So, as we come to the close of Year 9, I would like to give a Striving For Excellence shout out to the year group. I know they will continue to progress and achieve, fulfilling their potential and growing into even more amazing people. Year 10 promises to be a year full of exciting new experiences and possibilities, embarking on their journey towards Options and GCSE’s on the horizon.
Wishing all our families a lovely summer (and hopefully a drier one), and looking forward to our September return.
Mr Macdonald
NEWS IN BRIEF
Grease is the word!
We had a great time at Sholing brining Rydell High to the school with our summer production of Grease. The entire Creative Team and cast worked hard to bring a polished and professional production to the stage over two nights to packed audiences! Well done to all the students and staff involved.
Chessington World of Adventures
In July, we took 150 students to spend the day at Chessington World of Adventures. All the students were amazing and had a fantastic time, along with the adults! I cannot believe how brave they all were as they rode exhilarating rides, plunged into scary depths, got soaked on swings, and much more. You can view the photos on our Facebook page.
Recycling at OAS
Since introducing our new segregated waste bin trial in only the Maths/MFL corridor, we are starting to see a change in the amount of recycling waste we are now collecting in the academy. We believe that once the new bins are installed academy-wide, we will be producing more recyclable waste than general waste, and we have already had to ask for our recycling collections to be adjusted so that they reflect the increase our recycling! Well done team Sholing!
Sporting Successes
Congratulations to all the students who participated in the City Sports Athletics Championships held in June at the Southampton Sports Centre. We are pleased to share some of the outstanding results from the event:
- Eljay L, who achieved 1st place in his 100m heat and went on to secure 1st place in the 100m final.
- Izzy F, who earned 2nd place in the High Jump.
- Reece N, who took 1st place in the High Jump.
- James H-F, who placed 1st in the Long Jump.
- Grace B, who finished 3rd in the 200m heat and 4th in the 200m final.
Well done to all participants on their impressive achievements.
Congratulations to the girls who competed in the Southampton FC Foundation tournament on Friday 14th June! The senior team took the top spot, while the junior team finished in 3rd place. Great job, everyone!
Prom Night!
It was a night to remember at the Oasis Academy Sholing prom.
Year 11 students gathered at Royal Victoria Country Park on Thursday 4th July to celebrate the end of their exams and secondary education.
The prom photographs can be viewed here.
Culinary Arts Week
At the end of June our fantastic food department invaded the school to share the love of food and cooking. We had themed meals in the canteen, scavenger hunts, cookery competitions, quizzes and so much more! You can check out all the photos and find out what the academy got up to on our Facebook page.
Work Experience
Our Year 10 students have been out on work experience this term. The students have enjoyed working and developing new skills in a variety of industries.
YOTO Carnegies’ Awards’ Ceremony
The OAS Book Club had the amazing opportunity to be part of an audience of 600 young people at the live-streamed YOTO Carnegies’ Awards’ ceremony at the Cambridge Theatre, home of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s award-winning Matilda the Musical last month.
The YOTO Carnegies is the UK’s longest-running and best-loved book awards for children and young people and are unique in that they are judged by children’s librarians across the country. The OAS Book Club had been exploring the pages of the 8 shortlisted YOTO Carnegies’ Medal for Writing nominations over the last two months, exploring genres they would not usually choose to read.
“Our students were brilliantly engaged in reviewing the shortlisted books, excited to meet our regional judge, Elizabeth Peters, and see the authors live on stage. “We even managed to speak to some authors in person and have photos and autographs!” enthused our Librarian. “It was a truly fabulous experience.”
We were also very excited to see how passionately all the authors and illustrators spoke about their personal journey to their chosen career. They all had very different stories and routes, from archaeology to marketing, but the main encouragement was to always follow your dreams and never give up. Joseph Coelho inspired by saying, “Allow time and space for the dreams you don’t yet know you have.”
Joseph Coelho (the UK Children’s Laureate 2022-24) won the YOTO Carnegie Medal for Writing for his novel in verse The Boy Lost in the Maze. The story is about two boys ‘hoping to be men, severed from their fathers and searching a maze of manhood.’ During his acceptance speech he told us that, “a book isn’t finished until it’s placed into the hands of a child.”
Tia Fisher, author of Crossing the Line, won the Shadower’s Choice Medal for Writing. She thanked the shadowing groups for awarding her the accolade, “I know you’re there and reading books.”
Although OAS Book Club didn’t choose the same winner as the judges, this did not put a dampener on the day though. They nabbed a photo and chat with their chosen winner, Sophie Cameron – author of Away with Words.
If you’d like to know more about the shortlisted books, pop into the library or visit The Yoto Carnegies.
National Literacy Trust Session
Our librarian played host to a group of Year 7 and Year 8 students this term. The students attended 3 creative writing sessions in conjunction with the National Literacy Trust. The event focussed on Refugee Week and the official theme was Our Home. The week kicked off with an online event hosted by Michael Rosen. (If his name sounds familiar it’s because he wrote ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’ and is a well renowned poet and author for all age groups.) He reflected on the theme of Our Home and explored various poems from his collection, On the Move; Poems about Migration.
As a group, the students then had the opportunity to read, discuss and reflect on several short texts and develop their own personal and creative responses. The overall aim was to produce a unique piece of creative writing on the theme of Our Home, taking inspiration from the work explored during the sessions.
Mr Lee, Head of English, was impressed with all the students’ submissions. “The theme had obviously captured the hearts and minds of the students, and this was truly reflected in their final written pieces.” Mrs Ridley was proud to shout out the winner, Eva O, and two runners up, Evie R and Angelika G, in their assemblies and gifted them each a book.
On Friday 7th June, 15 students from Oasis Academy Sholing joined 15 students from Oasis Academy Mayfield in attendance to the National Oceanography a centre to celebrate World Ocean Day. Through a carousel-like structure, students learned about, and had the chance to observe deep-sea ocean explorers which plunge over 6000m below sea-level. They were able to investigate live samples of water taken from the Solent to observe both their microplastic content, as well as watch any living microorganisms under the microscope. Students had the chance to see and even handle real life fossils, including sharks, coral, deep sea isopods, cucumbers, and sea spiders. And in their final classroom, students were able to learn now volcanoes had influenced life as we know it today, alongside handle lava, tectonic plates and watch a chemical small-scale volcanic eruption.
Year 9 Geographers visit the Royal Botanical Gardens Kew
The trip was extremely interesting, with captivating views that were particularly stunning from the elevated areas in the greenhouses and treetop walks. The special adaptations of the plants were easily noticeable and were demonstrated in action within the immersive environment of the hot greenhouses. The buttress roots, which grow wide to support the tallest trees, along with their shallow roots that gather nutrients, were proudly on display. The drip tips on leaves prevented waterlogging, while the massive leaves of trees competing for sunlight were truly extraordinary. The variety of species thrived, even those from different continents and biomes, with a vast array of green, red, pink, purple, and blue flowers and plants showcasing the beauty of the natural world. It was a truly awe-inspiring experience for those who knew what to look for.
By Archie T, Year 9
Year 7 Art
Students have been working on a rotation this year alongside music. In Art this term, students have been learning about African Art. They have explored different African patterns, creating a research page. They have experimented with wax resist, amalgamating their African patterns together and exploring African inspired colours. Most recently, students have started to develop their African work into Clay tile designs, focusing on symmetry and pattern. We are really proud of our Year 7’s this year and we look forward to teaching them in Year 8. In September, students will have an hour of art every week and their first project will be based on colour and learning about the artist, Jasper Johns!
Year 8 Art
Students have been working on a rotation this year alongside music. In Art this term, students have been learning about colour and the artist, Jasper Johns. They have created a colour wheel, using watercolours, learning about primary, secondary and tertiary colours and different colour schemes. They have completed an artist study page on Jasper Johns. Students have been developing their own work, inspired by Johns , exploring a range of materials and blending techniques. Most recently they have started to create a final piece based on their favourite colour scheme and material. We are really proud of our Year 8’s this year and we look forward to teaching them in Year 9. In year , students will have an hour of art every week and their first project will be based on architecture, focusing on the houses of Amsterdam and creating a clay sculpture!
Year 9 Art
Students have been working on a rotation this year alongside music. In Art this term, students have been learning about Mexican art. They have created an observational drawing of a Mexican mask, a research page, collecting Mexican art and facts, they have learnt about Frida Kahlo, creating a careful replica of her work, using watercolours and they have studied Jose Guadalupe Posada, where they have completed a replica of their work, using pens. Most recently they have started to create a final piece merging the two styles of artists together, to design a mask or sugar skull design, using mixed media. We are really proud of our year 9’s this year and we look forward to teaching those who have opted to take art, textiles or photography next year. All students are still welcome to join us for art club, even if they haven’t chosen it for an option.
Mrs Selfe – Head of Art
Religious Studies
Our RS Vision: 1. Promoting tolerance; 2. Being a good role model & 3. Facilitating social mobility
RS GCSE students
This half term we said goodbye to our Year 11 students. They worked hard preparing for their RS exams and we are so proud of their efforts. We will look forward to seeing them on results day in August!
Year 10 had their first experience of completing exams in the sports barn. We have a very encouraging set of results and it demonstrates that they are on track to achieve great success in Year 11.
Year 6 induction days
We enjoyed welcoming the new Year 6 students, during the two transition days. Having religious studies as a separate subject is a new experience for many of them. They were enthusiastic about the topic of self-identity that we explored. Many had the confidence to contribute to class discussions, we will look forward to teaching them in September.
Religion and art
Year 7 will be ending the summer term looking at how religious and environmental themes can be expressed in artwork. Year 7’s will produce a piece of artwork during their RS lessons, it can be a poem, music, a video, a cartoon, a dance, photography or artwork. We then run a spirited arts competition. The top ten entries will be given to Mr Brown, so that he can select our winners.
Year 8 will consolidate their knowledge and understanding of Islam by exploring Islamic forms of art. They will look at Islamic patterns, which use lots of symmetry, and Arabic calligraphy. We look forward to seeing their creations and then displaying them within the RS department.
Our RS stars for Summer 2, who have an amazing attitude to learning and produce exceptional work are:
Year 10: Sanjog R and Elena C
Year 9: Adaeze P and Ezekiel L
Year 8: Niamh O and Harvey A
Year 7: Darcey R and Max A
Oasis Hub: East Southampton
The Oasis East Southampton Community Hub supports families across our community. We run a food pantry, evening youth provision, a Saturday morning club, Prom and formal wear hire, children’s parties and a community space with morning drop in groups at the Oasis Hub in Harefield. Information about all our activities can be found here or on our Facebook page.
We are always keen to listen to families in our community to think about new ideas that bring people together or meet needs that people facing. We are also always keen to hear from people who might have an hour or two to spare who would like to get involved by volunteering. There are lots of ways you can do this from collecting food donations to leading youth work. If you would like a chat about any of our provision or the possibility of volunteering please do get in touch with our community development lead Lizzie Whitbread.
Key Stage 3 English
In Key Stage 3, the summer term has been devoted to reading the novel—a fantastic way to improve fluency, accuracy and the enjoyment of reading fiction.
Year 7 began the term by diving into the world of science fiction with the novel, A Wrinkle in Time. Through the perspective of the protagonist, Meg, students have explored family dynamics, overcoming evil, building independence and understanding what makes us human. It has been a fantastical way to explore some of the ordinary things that young people go through.
Year 8 have been exploring a widely revered text, Things Fall Apart. Achebe’s novel explores African traditions pre-colonial rule, the effects of colonisation and the detrimental consequences of toxic masculinity. Through the character of Okonkwo, students have been able to build upon their knowledge of a tragic hero—a concept they learnt in the Autumn term—and have had the opportunity to explore his character through their own creative writing.
Year 9 have been studying the bildungsroman, Anita and Me. Syal’s novel explores the duality of humanity, the rebellious nature of children as they come of age and the alienation one can feel when they are othered due to their race. The concept of othering, alienation and having to overcome adversity is something which has been touched upon during all three terms. This humorous novel is a great way to end the year and consolidate those concepts.
Key Stage 4 English
Year 10 began the summer term with their modern prose GCSE text—An Inspector Calls. They have been exploring social and hierarchal systems in place during the Edwardian era, how those systems oppressed women and the proletariat, and how Priestley, the playwright, constructed his play in order to warn audiences of social regression. In addition to exploring the contextual factors which are inextricably linked to this text, they have also been examining characters and how they do or do not change as a result of their actions—this has led to some great discussion about the concept of responsibility and consequences. As with all of our texts and Language units, Year 10 have been continuing to refine their analytical skills when studying An Inspector Calls and unseen texts. They have finished this busy term with their first set of mock papers and their spoken language endorsement.
We look forward to their progress in Year 11 and hope they have a wonderful summer!
On Thursday, 25 intrepid Year 8 students set off on an adventure to consolidate their learning from the classroom in the natural world and learn about the geology and ecology of Lulworth Cove, a part of the Jurassic Coast.
The geology of the Jurassic Coast spans 175 million years of Earth History and is of international scientific importance, due to the fossils and environmental records recorded within the rocks.
We arrived on Thursday with time to spare before we met the Lulworth Estate Education Rangers; this meant it was time for ice cream. We had so many flavours to choose from and we found that some of the ice creams were rather large!
Due to the weather forecast for the next few days, our first activities were either kayaking or coasteering. Whilst we were all excited, some of us were a little apprehensive and nervous, not all of us had swam in the sea before. Was, Miss really going to let us do an activity that allowed us to jump into the sea….. well she did. Our first challenge was to find a wetsuit that fitted us and then walk down to the beach…..
It was then time to either kayak or coasteering. For those of us kayaking, after our safety briefing, we kayaked around the cove. We got to explore the Lulworth five rocks from the sea and visited the far side of the cove. We landed on the beach to explore further before returning to our kayaks. On the way back to the main beach…some of us tried to see how much water we could splash at Mr Riley.
For those coasteering, we made our way around the edge of the cove. We visited the aptly name Stinky Cove and learnt about the geology as we went. We then swam around to the headline and had the opportunity to jump into the cove. This was really exciting or scary. We then came back in and crossed over to Stair hole to explore the caves in the bay next door.
It was then time to walk back to the hostel. Some of us kept looking at this hill at the other side of the village, was Dr. Saunders, Mr Hooper and Mr Riley really serious that we may be walking up the hill tomorrow. It looked rather high to us.
At the hostel we settled into our rooms, had a shower and then try to remember what we ordered for dinner (don’t worry Dr. Saunders, had the sheet with all the orders, in case we forget).
After dinner it was time for the Jurassic Challenge…. who could inflate a balloon without using our hands…. tallest tower….longest continuous piece of paper…. who would the winners be?
After what we thought was little sleep, Dr. Saunders was knocking on our doors telling us it was time to get up for breakfast… what a choice we had, cereal, fruit, yoghurt, croissants and a fully cooked English breakfast.
First up on Friday was geology of Lulworth Cove. We learnt that the cove is made from five different rock types, these were Portland Limestone, Purbeck Beds, Wealden Clay, Greensand and Chalk. These are all sedimentary rocks and many of these contain fossils as well. The hardest rock is the Portland limestone whereas the Wealden Clay is soft clay was the softest and most easily erodible.
Some of the rocks at Stair hole are folded. This takes a lot of immense power. Did you know that these rocks were folded when the Africa tectonic plate collided with the European plate and formed the Alps? It was hard to imagine this, as the south coast of England is such as long way from the Alps. We also had a look at the different types of erosion taking place along the coast.
It was then we began to the realise the teachers were serious, we were going to talk up that hill! It looked really high to us…. lots of us did not wish to walk up the hill…but we did.
At the top, we learnt that hill was 130 m high. It gave us wonderful views back over Lulworth and we could see how the erosion of the cove had taken place. Did you know that much of the English Channel is around 130 metres deep and before the last ice age you could talk between England and France?
We continued to Durdle Door to see the famous see arch in Portland limestone. We learnt about how weaknesses in the rocks allow for the formation of caves and eventually the formation of the arch. We then realised the only way back was to walk….
Having eaten lunch in the morning, we then had our official lunch (and more ice cream). Final activities – it was ecology, that would not involve any hills, right? We had done the one and only hill in the morning surely….ecology is all about plants…it would not involve a second hill….would it?
We started by learning about the different plants and animals that live on the Lulworth Estate and then we went to survey them. Where did we go to survey them? Surely it would not be up a second hill…but it was. We went up Bindon Hill and tried to sample the two side of the hill. The south side which received lots of sun and the north side which received less.
However, the weather had other ideas. The cloud came in and we had to abort and return to the hostel. However, before this, we saw that indeed the amount of sunlight can affect the ecology and yes, there were different plants on both sides of the hill.
We spent the rest of the afternoon playing uno and pick-up sticks. Some of us tried to beat Mr Hooper at Uno and then we remember the football was on….
The question at dinner time was who had ordered the hot chocolate cookie and ice cream or who had gone for fresh fruit. Evening activities included the mighty Jurassic Quiz where Dr. Saunders, Mr Hooper and Mr Riley found out what we had learnt over the last 48 hours (they were all really impressed). We also found out we had a new prime minister….
Saturday morning, we had another early wake up call from Dr. Saunders before we all tried to pack our own stuff into our bags and get them shut again to walk back to the bus. We arrived pack at school excited to tell our families the tales of our adventures but extremely tried.
Key Stage 3 Maths
This term has seen students in Years 7, 8 and 9, sit their end of year assessments. All assessments have been based on the skills practiced over the year, as well as some of the basic skills that underpin all of their knowledge.
Assessments were all sat in class and students have been well behaved and focused throughout.
Year 7
This half term Year 7 have been looking at ratio and percentages. They have been looking at splitting values into a given ratio and finding percentages of amounts. These skills have been used further, looking at how they relate to fractions and decimals. Many students are now confident with working between fractions, decimals and percentages.
Year 7 Stars
Tiamo T, Amelia F, Ella M–H, Iliza N, Oyin B, Ava C, Talaina B & Amelia H
Year 8
Year 8 have been looking at finding the area, surface area and volume of different shapes. They have been using the formulae to help them with their calculations and having to memorise some formulae!
As well as looking at shapes such as squares, rectangles and triangles, along with their corresponding 3Dimensional versions, the students have also been looking at finding the circumference and area of circles. This has led to students needing to learn about using the ∏ symbol on their calculators. Most students could now tell you that the value of ∏ is 3.14
Year 8 Stars
Rejoice A, Faye C, Winston H, Ciaran M, Miyoka de S, Jacob P, Oliver M & Summer B
Year 9
Year 9 have been looking at probability and statistics. They have been looking at the chances of winning games or the chances of something happening, given the results of previous experiments. They have been seeing that probability can be written as fractions, percentages or decimals, however, whichever units you use they will always add up to one.
This year group have been deepening their understanding of venn diagrams and frequency trees, understanding why sometimes it helps to organise data in a systematic way.
Using systematic grouping of data, they have been looking at drawing cumulative frequency curves and finding estimated means.
Year 9 Stars
Genelia A, Ethan B, Evie W, Junior G, Lillian B, William F, Jessica L & Adaeze P
Maths Homework Club
Need help with your homework? Maths Homework club is on every Wednesday after school in the Library.
Year 10
Summer term has seen our Year 10 students sitting their first set of Mock examinations. Both higher and foundation students have sat two papers— paper one being non-calculator and paper two being calculator. This has been many students first view of GCSE papers, how they look and what is expected from them.
This half term Year 10 Higher students have been looking at probability and statistics, looking at the benefits of tabulating data and how you can use data to form predictions. This data has been shown visually in different types of graphs, including cumulative frequency graphs and histograms. Some students have gone even further and looked at comparing two different data sets.
Foundation students have also stated looking at data. They have been ensuring that they can find the mean, median and modes of data sets. They have also been looking at collecting their own data and ensuring that this is shown in an easy to read format.
Year 10 Stars
Aleisha T, Darcey J, Bongi M, Judith M, Erin J, Mitchel K, Keira C & Archie W
Year 11
Year 11 have finished their exams and are getting ready to move onto their next challenges. Many turned up to the morning masterclasses and revision sessions.
Good luck to all the Year 11s in their future endeavours, we look forward to seeing you on results day!
Equipment
Many students are coming to maths lessons equipped with pens and pencils. However, so that they are able to achieve the most in their maths lessons it is important that they also have: a ruler, protractor, set of compasses and a scientific calculator. These are available through school if needed, at a reduced price compared to supermarkets and stationary stores.
Sparx Homework
Most students are continuing to engage with their Sparx homework. Many are watching videos and all are welcome to attend Maths club on a Wednesday after school in the Library. Each year group is given a week to complete homework and homework is set on the same day each week.
Maths Puzzles
Using the numbers from 1-4, complete the grid
The numbers in each heavily outlined set of squares must combine, in any order, to produce the target number in the top corner using the mathematic operation indicated (+,-,x,÷)
- Use each number only once per row and once per column.
- Cages with just one square should be filled in with the target number in the top corner.
- A number can be repeated within a cage as long as it is not in the same row or column.
This half term has been busy in Science with our students out and about putting their learning in the classroom in practice in the outdoors.
Year 7 were lucky enough for Professor Steve Brusatte from the University of Edinburgh to drop by and discuss his dinosaur research. Professor Brusatte even talked to us about his science consulting on the Jurassic World franchise. Year 7, were really happy to find out there is another Jurassic World movie in the pipeline and the BBC are bringing back Walking with Dinosaurs next year.
Year 8, visited the world famous Lulworth Cove on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset where they learnt about the Geology and Ecology of the area. This allowed the students to see the items they have been learning about in the classroom come alive for them in the field. Students also learnt about the geology of Lulworth from the sea either kayaking or coasteering.
Megan and Sofie (Year 9), Teddy and Hugo (Year 8), have been working with Mr Harrison and Noel Clarke who is a recent graduate working with Balfour Beatty on an Industrial Cadet Bronze project. Their project is based on how we can turn the school into a self-sufficient island for a village with the population of the school. They have had to work out how to house, feed, provide energy for the entire population. They presented their project to a national team of STEM experts at the beginning of July.
The Science team are busy planning trips for next year. We already have plans for Lifelab (Year 9), Marwell (Year 10) and ScienceLive to name a few.