1. education
2. school

2014/15
Term
3 Issue 10
Vision statement:
Ter
‘Creating an irresistible climate for achievement’
We challenge, support and encourage every student to
achieve their potential.
We believe effort and dedication lead to success and we
raise aspirations.
We personalise our provision to meet the needs of
individuals.
We enable our students to flourish as confident learners
and leaders of our community.
We create a culture where all stakeholders feel valued,
supported and proud.
Dates For Your Diary:
Fri 6th March – Senior Student interviews
Mon 9th March – Yr11 Mock week & Yr10
Early Option Mock exam
Yr10 Science Mock exam week
Mon 16th March – Wed 18th March
GCSE Music Practical Exams
Mon 16th March – Fri 20th March
Yrs 12 & 13 Mock Week
Maths Successes
Congratulations to Gavin Brewerton and Tobias Clark. They both achieved so highly in the recent national UKMT
maths Challenge, that they qualified for the next round. Also a very well done to the fourteen other students
who achieved certificates in this challenge.
Year 9 Maths Reward Trip
Letters have been given out this week to 49 Year 9 students, who have worked consistently hard this term,
offering them the opportunity to go on the maths reward trip to Thorpe Park. Students will learn about the dayto-day applications of maths within the park and then get to experience the rides.
YOUNG WRITERS
Ms Kingsley is pleased to announce that 4 pupils from the Creative Writing Club, who
entered the Young Writers ‘Mini Monologue’ competition, recently had their writing
selected for publication.
Our school will be sent a copy of the monologue collection, entitled ‘Mini monologues –
Word Weavers’, and this will be kept in the school Library from June 2015.
Well done to the entrants; Madeline Aldam-Gates and Abbey Hateley who are both in
year 8 and Alfie Hoar and Lauren O’Neill from year 9.
YOUNG VOICE OF TROWBRIDGE SPEAKING COMPETITION
Pupils from John of Gaunt School were the big winners at this year’s Young Voice of Trowbridge speaking
competition, which was hosted at St Augustine’s Catholic College in Trowbridge.
Teams of students from Years 8, 10 and 13 came together from Clarendon Academy, John of Gaunt and St
Augustine’s schools to debate a number of different questions, including Is the Magna Carta relevant today?
Peter Addington, High Sheriff of Wiltshire, Jane Scott, leader of Wiltshire Council, Jo Trigg, head of marketing the
Consortium, Dr Andy Thompson, Bath University lecturer, and historian Sean McGlynn judged the competition.
Jennifer Polledri, chair of Trowbridge in Bloom, which organises the event, said: “The competition enabled the
young people to research, synthesise and present their thoughts and proposals coherently in public with
exceptional results.
“All students approached their topics with confidence, authority and well supported opinions.”
John of Gaunt won the Year 8 and Year 10 sections at the event on February 12, as well as being awarded the
overall winner of the competition, while Clarendon Academy won the Year 13 section.
Teacher Louise Hamilton, who coached the John of Gaunt pupils with fellow teacher Catherine Parkes, said:
“We are absolutely delighted to do so well. They all worked so hard and it was great to see how far they had
come.
“Some of those taking part were quite insecure at the beginning and not very confident speaking in front of
people, but the journey they have come on has been incredible.”
US SPORTS & ACADEMIC INFORMATION
St Augustine’s would like to extend a warm invitation to any aspiring athletes or scholars
who would be interested in finding out more about universities in the United States and
Academic and Sports Scholarships. They can come along to our US Sports and Academic
Information Evening on Monday, 16 March 2015 from 6 – 7.30pm at St Augustine’s
Catholic College. Registration is at 5.45 for a 6pm start.
In partnership with Sporting Elite, St Augustine’s is holding an information evening to help
you decide if a university in the United States is an option for your son or daughter.
Whether you’re an elite athlete or academic scholar, this presentation will have
something for everyone looking at pursuing a university education in the USA. You are
welcome to bring friends and visitors to the college from local schools and clubs who are
interested in finding out more.
Rob Thomas and Ben Smith have many years of experience in advising and organising
scholarships for students at US Universities from all over the world and this evening will
be an opportunity for you to hear how it works. There will be time for questions and
answers from the floor.
You can register at the address on the blog of St Augustine’s Catholic College website
www.st-augustines.wilts.sch.uk or www.eventbrite.com
I am sure the evening will prove to be very informative.
Wicked the Musical
On 26th February 40 students from years 7 to 13 went to see Wicked the musical at The
Bristol Hippodrome. It was a fantastic evening where the students were wowed by the
music, the singing, costumes and incredible stage effects.
The Music department are currently looking at what to go and see next so look out for
further information on the daily bulletin and on the Music Department notice board.
If you would like to come and see something a little closer to home then come and see the
amazing John of Gaunt cast perform Grease on 15th, 16th and 17th July 2015 in Gloucester
Hall. It isn’t too late if you would like to audition be involved in the school show.
Mrs Moore and Mr Jones.
Guy Cunnington
Team:
Nationality:
Podiums:
Championship Wins:
Highest Race finish:
Highest Grid position:
BRK (British Racing Karts)
British
35
3
1st (x7)
1st
2014 - In 2014 Guy won his first championships
in June and November. He also made his debut in
Super One where he is currently ranked 25th in
Britain.
2013 - In 2013 Guy still was on a Honda cadet and
a Project one. Guy picked up a few race wins and
had a competitive season at both clay pigeon and
Forest Edge. Guy managed to secure 2nd in both
championships.
2012 - In 2012 Guy was in comer cadet on a CRG later in the season Guy moved to Honda
cadet still on a CRG. Towards the end of the season Guy moved to a Project One but still
managed to finish well at Forest Edge and Clay Pigeon Kart Clubs.
2011 - This year was the first years were Guy could properly compete for a championship.
Guy stayed with BKC for another year and in that time he came 3 rd in the Clay Pigeon
Championship.
2010 - This was the year when Guy started Karting he passed his MSA licence in 2009 but
because of his age he could not race until April 2010. He quickly moved into a team called BKC
were he was able to lean very quickly.
2015
So far per-season testing is looking good for Guy. He has now joined a team called BRK who
are currently the British Champions. Guy is expected and is hoping to finish 5 th in Britain this
year. Super One is starting again this year in April in Cumbria. Guy this year will be racing all
over the UK.
Berlin – A Divided City That United Our Understanding
Earlier in February our AS History class took a trip to Berlin. We
experienced many new things, such as visiting Sachsenhausen
(where it was freezing), and visiting the many museums
Berlin has to offer. We experienced the beautiful city by
public transport which enabled us to really explore this
historic city.
Day 1 – The early bird catches the worm
We got up REALLY EARLY to fly to Berlin from Gatwick airport (London).
We managed to get through security without any issues and were in Berlin by
mid-afternoon. We went to the hotel and unpacked, and then visited the Pergamon
museum, packed with Egyptian and Persian artefacts, which was fascinating. We got
shooed out of the museum by a guard when we accidentally tried to stay past closing
time. Dinner was divine at an Italian restaurant, where Mrs Addecott could not pronounce
Tiramisu (she pronounced it tirry-me-sue).
Day 2 - The going gets tough, so the tough had breakfast.
In the morning, we had a guided tour of the Museum of German
resistance, which was definitely our favourite museum (and very
useful for our course). We went for lunch at a very posh restaurant
where Mrs Addecott was not a fan of the wine. We then went on a
four hour walking tour of Berlin, and our tour guide Johnny was
brilliant. We visited the Tiergarten, which is the old hunting
grounds for the German Kaiser, the Brandenburg gate, the Jewish
memorial and a very old university.
Day 3 – A rather chilling day in more ways than one
We went to Sachsenhausen concentration camp, where it
was absolutely freezing. The camp really gave us an idea of
how awful the camps must have been and just how
organised the Nazi killing machine was. We had lunch at a
small German café, which was lovely. In the evening we
went bowling, where Megan was a dark horse and totally
swept the floor, and Natalie literally did meet the floor
personally!
Day 4 – A Day to remember
In the morning, we visited the Topography of Terror, a
museum about the Gestapo (Nazi secret police). We found
it very interesting, but struggled to stand up for the whole
tour, as it was very long. We had lunch at Potsdamer Platz
before visiting the Soviet War memorial, which was very
impressive (although we did notice that the statue was terribly out of
proportion). We visited the East Side Gallery, which is a part of
the Berlin wall that has been left standing and is now a very
impressive art gallery of graffiti. We had dinner at a traditional
German restaurant, which was very nice, but we managed to
order mains as starters, and then struggled to eat the rest of the
meal.
Day 5 – Journey’s end
We visited the Wannsee conference memorial, which is the
conference at which the fates of the Jews and many other prisoners
were decided. It was a very interesting memorial, and after we got to
go on Mr Gray’s famous bird walk where we saw many birds that we
cannot remember the names of. We then had to pack up and go
home, which was sad .
Written by: Joanna Hudd, Emma Pullen, and Megan Hawker
Erasmus + and Clanger wood
I had the opportunity to visit 8H1 working up at Clanger
wood on Wednesday afternoon.
As part of the Erasmus + project, our students will be
sharing information about our local area and culture with
the other 5 countries involved via a short film entitled
‘The Beauty of My Territory’.
We have started the research process, and the 4 students who visit Germany in April will
begin to plan the film script.
When we started discussing areas of natural beauty where they like to visit for walks in the
countryside, Clanger Wood was mentioned by a few of the students.
So, as part of the research, I decided to organize a trip to the woods with Mr Stevens and
his team.
I filmed some of the Erasmus + extra-curricular group while they were working, and asked
them what it was they enjoyed about the trip to do this conservation work.
They loved being out in the fresh air, and it is rewarding for them to see what can be
achieved in just two hours on one afternoon. The also liked the fact that they got out of
school for a few hours! We were also very lucky that the weather was so nice- but it was
still pretty muddy!
I had never visited Clanger Woods before and I was so impressed with the amount of work
that John of Gaunt students have achieved in this year alone.
Students are cutting back trees to encourage growth, to clear areas
for more vegetation to grow on the ground, and for pathways to be
kept clear for visitors to enjoy the surroundings.
The highlight was when one of the larger trees that the lads were
cutting down fell to the ground with a satisfying thump!
We look forward to sharing the finished movie footage with you all.
Mrs Gibbs
(Mollie, Lydia and Freyja
from 8H1
Working hard on that tree in fetching pink hard hats!
Mr Stevens pretending that he is
napping …or is he?!)
DTP and Meningitis C Vaccination Forms – Years 9 and 10
A reminder to return all forms promptly to your son/daughter’s tutor or Mrs Campbell in
D19.
All returned forms will be collected by NHS nursing staff for checking before the end of this
term prior to the injections taking place after the Easter holidays. Forms must be returned
by Friday 20 March.
Students who have not returned their forms will be unable to have their DTP and Meningitis
C injections at school and will need to have these done at their own GP surgery.
Lin Campbell
First Aider
Library and Learning Resources Centre
World Book Day – Thursday 5th March
Today is one of the highlights of the Library calendar, when students come into school
dressed as their favourite book character. Photographs of the day will be on the school
website shortly. I was amazed at the creativity and the enthusiasm of the students.
The first ten students to enter the Library in costume were given a free World Book Day
book and everyone had a go at the Library Lucky Dip.
Judging of best costume took place in the Library during lunchtime. Of course, those who
participated were all winners but prizes were given to the following students:
1st Prize
2nd Prize
3rd Prize
4th Prize
Verity Brewerton
Eve Hunter
Akari Ryono
Gavin Brewerton
as
as
as
as
“Toothless” (How to Train your Dragon)
“Princess Mononoke” (Princess Mononoke)
“Pippi Longstocking” (Pippi Longstocking)
“Isaac Vianio” (Libriomancer)
Students also took part in ‘Book Title Charades’ (another annual favourite). Winner of the
most correct guesses: Tristan Loftus
Well done to everyone – I was bowled over at the effort you all went to and the Library
was at its most colourful, ever!
The Mad Hatter (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland) aka Mr Gray, and Miss Root (Demon
Dentist) aka Miss Davison, popped in for a photo call. Thank you – the students really
appreciated it!
A Carter
Librarian and Learning Resources Manager
News from the English Faculty
Year 11
The last Mock exam in January was like a practice for the real thing on 2nd June. Your
result may not have been a true indication of what you are really capable of, so you need
to use the next Mock to demonstrate your real potential. Show your English teacher how
hard you are willing to work in order to achieve that C or B or A…
We will be offering lots of revision sessions and your teachers will be asking you to do lots
of work, both in and out of school. Hopefully, all of you will really seize this opportunity
and try to increase your January result by at least 10 marks – that’s 2 grades … or why not
go for 20; show us what you’re really made of!
Don’t forget to keep reading your novel (‘Of Mice and Men’ or ‘Mockingbird’ or ‘Mister
Pip’) and your short stories and the poetry.
You should all now have a lovely revision timetable on your bedroom wall! Little and often
is the key – don’t leave it too late!
Revision sessions available:
Monday - 3pm in L4 with SPC Foundation tier
Monday - 3pm in L31 with SWO GCSE Writing - any tier
Tuesday - 3pm in L6 with ABA - A*/A
Tuesday - 3pm in L21 with JDA - B/C
Wednesday - 3pm in L4 with SPC Foundation tier
+ Check with your own English teacher for other revision sessions
Year 10
We hope you’re enjoying the Spoken Language Study – it’s a really interesting topic and
gets you thinking about the language that we use in everyday situations.
Next term, we’ll be moving on to ‘non-fiction texts’ – basically any writing about real-life.
In preparation, it is a good idea to get into the habit of reading a newspaper on a regular
basis. You could also try reading some magazine articles, some travel writing or an
autobiography.
Should you wish to receive all the latest information from us, then please
contact Mrs D Cottle, Sims Manager on 01225 762637 Ext 251 or email at
[email protected]
Recruiting Examination Invigilators
Address:
The John of Gaunt School
Contact Details:
Mrs Cottle - Examinations Officer or
Miss Naish – Exams Assistant
[email protected]
Date Posted
March 2015
Salary:
£6.67 per hour
Full Description:
Exam Invigilator
We are currently looking to recruit a number of reliable and responsible invigilators to
supervise exams.
These are ad-hoc positions without fixed working days; hours worked would be on a
demand basis. You will be expected to be flexible in the days and times that you are
available to work.
The roles carry a high level of responsibility without the need for formal training or
experience. The main aspect of this role is to ensure that strict exam conditions are
adhered to. Your duties would include preparation of rooms, distribution of scripts and
supervision of students during examinations.
You must have an approachable personality, the ability to be flexible and work as part of a
team.
If you are looking for an ad-hoc role and feel that you meet the criteria required then we
are keen to hear from you.
Notification of Absence
Should your child be unwell please either phone Miss Sawyer on 01225 711160 or email
[email protected]
It is a legal requirement that a parent/carer phones the school should their child be unwell. If the child phones
it will not be counted as an authorised absence.
Franklin House is proud to announce our following Year 11 prefects:
Eleanor Budden
Oliver Cooper
Chloe Hitchcock
Shirley Morris
Mollie Perry
Jamie Phillips
Keely Pritchard
Daniel Shepherd
Jessica Shepherd
From these prefects the following roles of responsibility have been chosen:
Franklin House Captains: Jamie Phillips and Mollie Perry
Franklin Deputy House Captains: Jess Shepherd and Ollie Cooper
Franklin Sports Captain: Dan Shepherd
Franklin Charity Captain: Ellie Budden
A huge well done to all!
Mrs Brown, Mrs Gibbs and Mrs Taylor.
Wingfield Car Park
We have been experiencing difficulties with congestion in Wingfield car park at the end
of the school day.
We are discussing a longer term solution but in the meantime please avoid parking on
the double yellow lines as this is causing a health & safety hazard. I am concerned that
before too long an accident involving students will occur.
To ease the situation perhaps queue through the car park or park on the Wingfield
Road.
Many thanks for your co-operation.
Mike Gunston
Headteacher
THE JOHN OF GAUNT SCHOOL CATERING SERVICES
LUNCH MENU WEEK 1 – 9th March
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
Quorn Sausages in
sticky bbq sauce
Salmon & Lemon
Fishcakes
Roast Turkey
with stuffing &
Cranberry sauce
Beef Lasagne
Battered fillet of
fish & Tartare
sauce
Cheese & onion
flan
Cauliflower cheese
Vegetable Pasta
Bake
Spicy Quesadilla
Veggie Burgers
Crushed Potatoes
Vegetables
or mixed Salad
Wild Rice
Roast Potatoes
Vegetable of the
Day or
Mixed Salad
Garlic Bread
Vegetable of the
Day or
Mixed Salad
Chips
Vegetable of the
Day or
Mixed Salad
Yoghurt
Or a Piece of
Fresh Fruit
Vicarage sponge
& custard
Or a Piece of
Fresh Fruit
Lemon crunch
&
Fruit Salad
Or a Piece of fruit
Homemade cake &
cookies
Or a Piece of
Fresh Fruit
Vegetables
or Mixed salad
Homemade cake &
cookies or
A piece of Fresh
Fruit
THE JOHN OF GAUNT SCHOOL CATERING SERVICES
LUNCH MENU WEEK 2 – 16th March
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
Quorn Curry
& rice
Cottage Pie
Roast gammon
With stuffing
Cajun Chicken
with salsa sauce
Fish goujons
Vegetable
Lasagne
Macaroni cheese
with wholemeal
crusty Bread
Sage & Onion topped
Quorn Fillet
Mixed bean &
Aubergine Tagine
Quorn Sausages
Fresh
Vegetables
Or
Mixed Salad
Vegetable
Of the day
or
Mixed salad
Roast Potatoes
Vegetable of the Day
Or
Mixed Salad
Cous cous
Or new potatoes
Vegetable of the
day Or
Mixed Salad
Chips
Vegetable of the
Day or
Mixed Salad
Homemade cake
& cookies
Or
A Piece of Fresh
Fruit
Carrot Cake
or
A piece of Fresh
Fruit
Homemade cake
Biscuit Or
A Piece of Fresh
Fruit
Bread & butter
Pudding with
custard
A piece of Fresh
fruit
Homemade cake
or biscuit
or
a Piece of fruit
Exam dates March 2015 to July 2015
Wingfield & Mackereth
Monday 09th – Friday 13th March
Year 11 Mock Exam Week
Monday 16th – Friday 20th March
Year 12 & 13 Mock Exam Week 2
Monday 11th May - Friday 26th June
Summer Exam window
Monday 22nd June - Morning (Period 1 & 2)
Year 7 English Internal (SPAG) Exam
Monday 22nd June - Mid Morning (Period 3 & 4)
Year 8 Science Internal Exam
Monday 22nd June - Afternoon (Period 5)
Year 9 Science Internal Exam
Tuesday 23rd June - Morning (Period 1 & 2)
Year 7 Maths Paper 1 Internal Exam
Tuesday 23rd June -Mid Morning (Period 3 & 4)
Year 8 Maths Paper 1 Internal Exam
Tuesday 23rd June - Afternoon (Period 5)
Year 9 Maths Internal Exam
Wednesday 24th June - Morning (Period 1 & 2)
Year 7 Maths Paper 2 Internal Exam
Wednesday 24th June -Mid Morning (Period 3 & 4)
Year 8 Maths Paper 2 Internal Exam
Thursday 25th June - Morning (Period 1 & 2)
Year 9 English Internal (SPAG) Exam
Thursday 25th June - Morning (Period 3 & 4)
Year 8 English Internal (SPAG) Exam
Monday 29th June –Tuesday 07th July
Year 10 Mock Exam Week
Thursday 13th August
GCE A2/AS Summer RESULTS
Thursday 20th August
GCSE Summer RESULTS
Welfare Concerns
If you have any concerns about your child, from the very small to more significant ones, The John of Gaunt
School has someone in place to help and support you and your child. For most minor issues the first person to
contact is your child’s tutor. They see your child every day and can deal will issues that arise from time to time
such as minor friendship issues or worries about school work or homework. The email for your child’s tutor and
house leader is in their planner.
For more serious welfare concerns we have a very experienced pastoral team including a Student Liaison
Officer and a Pastoral Support Manager linked to each House. Helen Kerr is the Assistant head Teacher who
has overall responsibility for Welfare and child protection and she heads up these teams and works with the
House leaders and their teams to ensure that all students are supported and cared for during their time at The
John of Gaunt School. All of these people are available to be contacted via the telephone or via email – see
below. Please do not hesitate to let us know if there is anything you are concerned about.
Helen Kerr: Assistant Head Teacher Tel: 01225 762637 Ext 203
Mel Baker: Student Liaison Officer Tel: 01225 762637 Ext 209
Franklin House: Jill Taylor
Tel: 01225 72637 Ext 255
Greenfield House: Katie Galbraith Tel: 01225 762637 Ext 254
Hawking House: Sarah Stewart
Tel: 01225 762637 Ext 258
Newton House: Claire Caulfield-Smith Tel: 01225 762637 Ext 256
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
Email: jtaylorjogschool.org
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]