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Newsletter: 37/15
3rd July 2015
Dear Parent
Year 11 Ball
Wonderful! I am able now to say ‘it never rains on my parade’ – 14 on the trot and although it got close, the sun shone and the
festivities were blessed again. Those many, many parents, grandparents, brothers/sisters, friends and other students who came along
saw the now well established cavalcade of sumptuous cars – big, small, top of the range and retro, vintage and bizarre – buses,
trailers, bikes (push and motor), trolley (less said…) cardboard boxes magic’d into modes of transport and much more; and a first too
– students arriving inside a Chinese Dragon (there are some photos on the website – not at all professional but capturing the spirit, I
hope). And then the ceremonial march up through the school and thronged with well-wishers and into the Hall – sprinkled with fairy
dust for the night and gaining that so rewarding gasp as the students saw their usually plain and utilitarian school transformed for
their Prom. Formal dancing, disco, a band that got them rocking, lots of food (thanks to all who helped with this) – including a pig
roast (yummy!) – and the delightful company of 250 lovely young people. And did they enjoy themselves – you’ll have to ask them or
trust me; yes they did and so did the small army of staff who make it possible. Churchill is not alone, I am sure, in holding on to this
in-house Prom tradition but it works a treat. For my last Year 11 Ball, Friday was a treat and will give the students and me very fond
memories. It doesn’t seem five minutes ago since they joined as our little Year 7 students – now they are well on their way to being
all grown up! Photos are now on the website if you’d like to take a look.
Zakhele Concert – Colston Hall
What a great pleasure it was to see the final part of Zakhele’s latest tour to North Somerset and Bristol. A packed house was greeted
in the foyer by our very own Chamber Choir before seeing an evening of outstanding entertainment. This was a Charity Concert
organised by the Za Foundation who support educational and health based work in Nkomazi – one of the poorest areas of South
Africa; please, donate to Za by texting 70070 and adding KIDZ45 £5 in the message section to donate £5 or via the website:
www.zafoundation.org – their work is in an area of over 40% adult HIV infection, of thousands of orphans, with few resources or
schools … or even hope, for some, and they deserve our support. We owe them nothing but each time they come they enthral a new
generation of our students with their skill and energy and creativity and talent – and their joy in life. And didn’t they deliver on
Saturday – along with 400+ local students, Zakhele performed and joined in and danced and sang – the deep resonance of the allmale rendition of ‘How Great Thou Art’ (a favourite of mine) was just sublime. A huge number of Primary students – excellently
marshalled by Mr Harrison and Caro Barrett (North Somerset Music Service who also retires this year) – provided the mass chorus to
several songs whilst the four secondary schools – Churchill, St Katherine’s, Backwell and Gordano – provide other elements of the
evening. Our bits (I don’t need to say the best bits!) – were at the finale – our Year 9 ‘Velocity Dance Company’ – were brilliant and
Youthful Spirit whetted my appetite for the imminent tour of Germany. It all crescendo’d with a mass rendition of Shosholoza and we
all left with very high spirits indeed. Thanks to Mr Harrison, Ms Cooper-White, Mrs Lippe, Miss Cook, Mr Siequien and Mr McDonald
for their work not only with our students but also for enabling the whole wonderful production. Don’t forget to support Za – please.
Launch of a new prize for Speech Day: Prize for Resilience
To mark my retirement, I wish to establish a new prize for Resilience. You can nominate someone! Please see the attached paper for
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details. Closing date for nominations is Wednesday 15 July 2015. Details at the end of the Newsletter.
XYZprinting Schools 3D Printing Competition – please vote!
Further to our recent Newsletter item, we’re delighted to report that Luke Scully (13JLH) has made it through to the final for a chance
to win a state-of-the-art 3D printing lab for the School. To vote for Luke’s apple bird box design, please click on the attached link
https://www.facebook.com/XYZprintingEU/app_888946734474716. Please vote and spread the word to others to do the same.
Good luck Luke.
Year 10 students - Hoodies for Year 11 (Leavers 2016)
2016 Leavers’ hoodies are now available to order direct from NK Sports, Unit 7 Station Road, Worle, Weston-Super-Mare, BS22 6AU
(01934 511005/www.nksports.co.uk). They cost £20.00 each with a delivery charge of £4 to home addresses; there is also a ‘Click
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and Collect’ service available through their website. Closing date for first order: Saturday, 18 July 2015 with delivery up to four
weeks from this date. We are unable to accept any delivery to the Academy.
Enterprise Day
A whole school event driven by the Business Studies Faculty saw students from Years 7-10 perfecting their Enterprising &
Employability skills. Year 7 was faced with 'The Smoothie Challenge' - to market, make and display a smoothie judged by guests
invited from industry. Year 8 took part in a dramatic murder mystery using their skills and initiative to discover ‘who killed Dr
Wratten’ in the library. There was a scene of crime created in the library and the Science rooms were bustling with activities such as
'Blood Splatters' and 'Footprints'. Mr Grimmett was identified as the murderer and arrested by 'the Police' at the end of a very
exciting and dramatic day. Year 9 spent the day creating a product with an ethical message to be sold by them or an ethical brand at
a festival - very topical given Glastonbury was only a week ago! Products included reusable bags, T-shirts, caps, aprons and umbrellas.
Year 10 were working on the themes of Strategy, Cooperation and Trade. Activities included a number of strategy games such as
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Newsletter: 37/15
3rd July 2015
Chess, Uno and Draughts and also the Trade Game which had students trading on the Churchill Stock Market. We are hugely grateful
to some very busy and highly successful local business people who were invited in to judge the winning teams in a Dragons Den style
end of the day for our Year 7 and Year 9 events and we thank John Alvis (Alvis Brothers), David Neil (Operations Manager, CoOperative Food), Tracey Marsh (Sainsbury’s Area HR Manager), Naomi Davis (Sainsbury’s Store Manager), Karen Barnard (Aspens
Catering), Louise Malik (Governor), John Allister (ex-Deputy Head, The Grange School), Grace Cadman, Mike Batchelor (Procurement
Assistant, TLT Solicitors), David Read and Mark Parnell (Rotary members) for their involvement.
Dance Fever Show
I love Dance Fever. Okay, it’s a competition but it is done in such a spirit of fun and exuberance that the evening has not the slightest
tension (unless you are a dancer!). The range was super – groups, duets and solos and ranging from Year 7 to Year 12. There was a
huge amount of work invested by these dancers over the months leading up to this and plenty of midnight oil for parents getting
costumes ready. The dances themselves were excellent – deep and moody, firecracker bright, graceful and athletic with lifts, props,
bending limbs seemingly counter to nature’s design, dazzling smiles and pure, pure skill and energy. This is an occasion that lights up
the end of the School year – Mr Buckley, Mrs Lippe and Miss Cook opened with a Bill Hayley twist, Miss Bones MC-ing, the audience
fully focused and the dancers sublime. Everyone was a winner – to showcase such talent must be deeply satisfying but the prizes
went to 'Best performer' Abigail Gash (Year 10) and the overall winners Rosie Clements and Siena Cunliffe (Year 7); they genuinely
were the most energetic and sweetest of cheeky monkeys!
Liz Glen Singers
Mr Harrison said in his thanks to students and to performers that Churchill was a ‘singing’ school because of Liz and her tutoring of so
many of our students. The Concert – in aid of Children’s Hospice South West – demonstrated her encouragement and inspiration to a
fine degree. It was quite brilliant – about 40 singers in solos, duets and trios plus the Folk Group and Chamber Choir, all excellently
supported at the piano by Stuart Phippen. They enthralled a full St John’s Church with great variety and a very high standard indeed.
Always invidious to state any favourites but the pure voice of Lucy Taylor, the sheer energy of Jennie Higgins, George Derry and Jodie
McKitterick and the touching sensitivity of Alice Derry were my personal highlights amongst so many. And what talent there is ‘in the
bank’ – Year 7 and Year 8 students showing such rich potential. I am very grateful to Mr Harrison and Ms Cooper-White and also to
Mr Staddon who has led the Folk Group (and who is leaving us to work in the University sector; we wish him well). But mostly, of
course, I thank Liz – who performed a moving Faure piece as the finale herself – who draws out such wonderful talent.
Public Speaking Competition 2015
About 40 Year 8 students took part in the third Churchill Academy Speaking Competition this week. Students entertained an audience
of parents and friends with their speeches on subjects such as the ‘horrors of homework’, ‘the perils of artificial sweeteners’, ‘the
pressure to fit in with your peers’ and ‘the unfairness of university fees’. This year’s overall team winners were the Drama Llamas:
Sarah Walsh, Katherine Whydle and Orla Doherty who gave a very well-crafted speech entitled ‘Why euthanasia should be legal in
Britain’. The Best Main Speaker was awarded to Edward Thurlow; Best Chairman went to George Rabin and Luke Curran was a
popular choice as best Voter of Thanks. Judges couldn’t resist handing a Best Reserve gong to super-sub Vijay Rajacholan who
stepped in with just a couple of hours’ notice. Special thanks to our Year 9 student judges Libby Scott and Tara Harding and to Miss
Birkett and Miss Strachan for their organisation and encouragement as well as Mr Grimmett.
Polish Students - Welcome Booklet
A big thank you to Natalia Lasota (7WZC) and Kornelia Harasimiuk (7TJJW) who have been working hard with Ms Turvey in the Polish
forum. They have produced a booklet for prospective Polish speaking students coming into the school, with pictures and information
translated into Polish. The idea is to make students feel welcome and included within Churchill Academy. The girls recently met with
Dr Wratten to share their ideas and he was very impressed with their hard work.
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Duke of Edinburgh: Parents’ Evening for Direct Entrants, 8 July (6pm – 8pm) Hall
If students are interested in taking on the DofE challenge in the next academic year they must be currently in Year 9 (Bronze) or Year
10 (Silver). If they missed the recruitment meeting they should get a letter from Reception. A student & parent evening will be held
next Wednesday for direct entrants only; those Year 10 students who are already doing Bronze need not attend. We are also looking
for a few parent volunteers to help staff the Duke of Edinburgh expeditions next year. Please contact Mr Tinker [email protected] if interested.
World War One Battlefields trip - July 2016
Parents of Year 7 students should have received a letter for next year's Battlefields trip to Ypres and The Somme. 2016 will mark the
100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme where Britain suffered more than 60,000 casualties on the first day. To reserve a place
on this trip please log onto ParentPay and pay a non-refundable £100 deposit. Please contact Mr Logan if you have any queries.
Academy scoop: two top journalists visit students
Two of the region’s leading journalists (Sarah-Jane Bungay and Paul Wiltshire, Points West and former Bath Chronicle respectively)
separately visited the Academy this week to talk to Year 10 students about how to break into the competitive world of newspaper
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Newsletter: 37/15
3rd July 2015
and TV news reporting. Both told of the demands of the job – the stress of instant messaging, the lack of celebrity ‘glam’ and the
need to master certain skills (like shorthand). They gave students an insight into the qualities editors look for in a young reporter –
determination, empathy and the ability to sniff out a news story. Very valuable input and inspirational for tomorrow’s news hounds.
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Celebration of Success Assemblies: w/c 13 July
Invitations will be arriving by post this week for those students nominated to receive an award at the Celebration of Success Evenings:
Tudor 13 July; Hanover 14 July; Stuart 15 July; Windsor 16 July. This year to save admin time we have asked you to respond only if you
are unable to come; if you do not reply we will assume you are attending. Queries to: [email protected].
Dates for the diary (Full details on the website)
July
w/c 6th
8th
9th
12th-16th
13th- 16th
17th
17th
Next week is Activities Week
August
Activities Week/Work Experience
DofE Parents’ Evening (Direct Entrants) – 6-8pm, Hall
DofE Parents’ Evening (Gold) 7-8pm, Sixth Form Centre
DofE Gold Expedition- Lake District
Celebration of Success Evenings, 6.30-7.30pm, Academy Hall
DofE Team Presentations- Sixth Form centre (all participants)
TERM 6 Ends
13th
20th
2nd
3rd
4th
A/AS Level Results Day
GCSE Results Day
September
TERM 1 begins – INSET day
Term 1 begins for Years 7-12
Term 1 begins for Year 13
Yours sincerely
Barry Wratten, Headteacher
LAUNCH OF A NEW PRIZE FOR SPEECH DAY
To mark my retirement, I wish to establish a new prize for Resilience (unimaginatively, this is to be the ‘Dr Wratten Prize for…’). This
will be some sort of trophy to be kept for the year and a cash prize.
My aim is to reward someone with genuine resilience – the student perhaps most likely to succeed because of their strength of
character. All students who attend Churchill are eligible. Anyone within the school community can nominate – students, staff,
parents, friends – and the SLG will shortlist, the Head will decide.
The criteria: a combination of two or more of the following:

Determination to face challenges (Challenge)

Perseverance to fulfil their potential (Inspire and Achieve)

Generous and thoughtful to others (Care)

Dependable in character (Care and Inspire).
How to nominate:

Identify your nominee

Say what they have done and how they meet the criteria (at least 2)

Write a brief (50 words max) citation

Send it to [email protected] or [email protected]

Closing date for nominations is Wednesday, 15 July 2015
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Although there will be only one winner, nominations and citations will form a roll of honour to be shared within the Academy, giving
all deserving students some recognition.
Many thanks, in anticipation, for your nominations.
Dr Barry Wratten
June 2015
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Absence Line: 01934 854065 / Governor contact: [email protected]