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The official newsletter of King Edward VI School
‘Passionate about learning’
Christmas Greetings
Inside:
The Dragons Descend!
Shanghai Impact!
Bouncing to Success!
Maths Mania!
Greased Lightning!
During six sell-out shows our students did us proud with this year's school
production. Grease is always an entertaining show, but rarely has it been so funny,
so vibrant and so full of energy. Congratulations to all members of the team,
including all the students and many staff who were involved behind the scenes
and front-of-house. You served up a musical treat. Read more inside.
ISSUE 31 | DECEMBER 2014
Celebrating our Students
HEAD
LINES
Psychology
students ‘turn to
crime’
by Jess Nixon, Teacher of Psychology
Welcome to our Christmas issue of
Celebrate! I can't remember a more
action-packed term, and it's a tribute
to our tremendous staff team that as
well as all the hard work inside the
classrooms, so much has been taking
place outside – in sport, music,
drama, debating and all the other
areas that we see as central to a great
school.
Almost 100 A Level Psychology, Sociology and
Philosophy students were immersed in a
world of crime and punishment as exoffenders and a forensic psychologist shared
their experiences of life on both sides of the
law. The compelling day, delivered by ‘True
Life Conferences’ was full of intrigue and
analysis, and gave a fascinating insight into
the workings of the UK's criminal justice
system.
This edition is brimming over with
student names in a variety of
contexts. We are on a mission to
celebrate as many personal
successes, large and small, as possible
– which is why you'll probably agree
that this edition has more quirky
surprises than usual.
Students advise the Bank
So another calendar year ends. But
the school year moves into a different
gear with a term ahead which will
focus relentlessly on preparing our
students for the summer's
examinations.
Celebrating Achievement
French and German
by Lynda Webb, Head of Modern Foreign Languages
Congratulations to Georgia Wisker and Stephanie
Thompson, recognised for their exceptional effort and
contributions. Special thanks also to Stephanie for setting
up a French club.
Students who achieved the best scores in their respective
groups in the November vocabulary competition are:
Year 9
Alex Lee, Cameron O’Connor, Libby Richards, Grace
Rosbrook, David Maybe, Toby Wood, Georgia Holland,
George Tricker, Christopher Goodchild, Sam Barrett, Olivia
Beales, Zoe Pettit, Thomas Chandler, Megan Housley,
James Keeling, Ethan Tang
Year 10
Jake Summerscales, Myka Angelyka Gonzales, Tayla Clarke,
Abigail Blake, David Csontos, Jasmin Bulpitt, Toby Wojslaw,
Georgia Bowen, Joshua Finch, Holly Dodds
by Tony Diver, Head Boy
The Target 2.0 Challenge, run by the Bank of England and the Times newspaper, is
an opportunity for Business students to explore economic ideas beyond the
curriculum. In November, Esmae Wallace, Josh Unsworth, Jesse Lapworth and Tony
Diver (with help from Ryan McGowan), competed against other schools in the
region to advise the Bank of England on monetary policy. They were challenged by a
panel that included an economic analyst and a member of the communications
department of the Bank of England.
Before then, there's a holiday to be
had. Thank you for all of your support
and encouragement throughout the
year, and best wishes to you and your
family for a peaceful Christmas and
healthy New Year.
Year 11
Michael Taylor, Michael Brown, Becky Humphreys
Business Studies Awards
by Michelle Hemmings and Penny Hunt, Teachers of
Business Studies
Congratulations to the following students for all-round
excellence this term: Henry Chaves, Matt Field, Cam
Haddow, Elliot, Marison, Cam Nicholls, WIll Sealey, Aymen
Shah, Ben Sime, Sam Waterson
GCSE Applied Business
Well done to the following students who have worked
extremely hard and are achieving well above their target
grades: Ania & Misia Fajgier, Tom McGregor, Archie Mijares
AS Business
Well done to these students who are surpassing their
targets this year, despite not having studied Business at
GCSE level: Oliver Barratt, Callum Morton, Dan Davis,
Dannii Elliott, Emma McKinstry, Travis Walton
Into the 'Dragon's Den’
The following students have been recognised for
outstanding commitment and achievement:
by Penny Hunt, Teacher of Business Studies
Year 12 Business students have been preparing business plans since early September with a view to presenting to a tough panel
of judges made up from local business leaders and Governors. They have now submitted their formal business plans and
presented their ideas, along with their forecast projections of sales and costs. The experience was invaluable in helping them to
get to grips with the realities of business outside the classroom setting and in giving them the confidence to pitch ideas to
prospective investors.
GCSE Economics
Liza Critchley, Erin Cooper, Harry Stonebridge
A2 Business
Esmae Wallace, Alex Smith
Year 10 Computing
by Richard Morgan, Head of ICT
Thanks go to Tom Caruth (Year 13) for giving an incredible
level of support to the Year 10 students who worked
outside the curriculum to enter a Microsoft coding
competition. The Year 10 students were: Holly Dodds, Alice
Booth, Grace Moss
Art
by Kate Brown, Subject Leader for Art
In addition to their excellent work ethic and devotion to the
subject, we’d like to recognise the following students for
the attributes that have stood them apart this term:
Year 11
Sarah Cooper - continues to demonstrate a rare and superb
level of skill.
Harry Glover - attends catch-up sessions at lunchtime; his
level of work produced is well above his target grade.
Billy Fordham - perseverance with painting technique to
extend his skill level; excellent work produced and now
working above target through sheer hard work.
Amelia Austin - extremely hardworking and always meets
deadlines; her level of work produced is good well above
her target grade.
Zoe Beckley - extremely hardworking and always meets
deadlines, her level of work is outstanding.
Textiles
Year 11
Eloise Dodman - excellent effort, very hardworking and
always meets deadlines despite her other extensive
commitments in the performing arts.
Becky Marsh - fantastic progress this year; incredibly
hardworking and always meets deadlines.
Year 10
For outstanding effort and commitment to GCSE Art since
the start of the course, including participation outside the
curriculum: Martha Roberts, Laura Herod, Sarah Moody,
Chloe Bunn, Polly Buick, Isaac Cunningham, Sophie Lawson,
Megan Stevenson, Lauren Stiles, Lillian Wade, Lucy
Ambrose, Jack Barford, Antonia de Freitas, Phoebe Cutler,
Josh Finch, Ethan Gee, Lucy Howard, Erin Limmer, Dora
Mountford, Evie Nicholas, Rosie Paveley, Megan Poole, Jack
Stannard-Brown
Celebrating Achievement
Grease is the word
Celebrating the Performing Arts
Drama
Arts Festival
by Mrs Ryan, Teacher of Geography
by Jonathan Lodge, Head of Drama
by Mark Hird, Assistant Headteacher
Well done to these students who have
been recognised by the Geography
department for their work this term:
We would like to say well done to the following students for
simply being outstanding in every lesson: Oliver
Templeton, Billy Abbott, James Marshall, Andrew Roberts,
Hannie Bentley, Adam Levey, Gustavo Da Costa, Tommy
Aldea, Douglas Collett, Lucy Tovey, Niamh Fenn, Cameron
Dean, Megan Housley, James Richardson, Elisabeth Baxter,
Grace Hayden, Niamh Jenkins.
Geography
Year 13
For outstanding work ethic and
commitment to excellence: Yvie Morgan,
Sammy Hepper, Rachel Herod David
Strawson, Mark Wreford, Emily Mason,
Jenna Brame
Year 12
For making an excellent start to the A Level
course: Elliot Gaywood, Ben Francis, Dan
Wood, Chantel Law, Ellen Laidlaw, Daniel
Davis, Matt Fleur
Year 11
For their effort on fieldwork and Controlled
Assessment: Elizabeth Bevan, Lucy Brown,
Will Sealey, Megan Dean, Brad Hammond,
Isabelle Copeland, Helen Jones, Kira
Steggall
Year 10
For an excellent start to the GCSE course:
Jack Stanard-Brown, Joseph Kidd, Lucy
Howard, Anna Fajgier, Misha Fajgier
Year 9
For outstanding effort so far this year:
Sophie Brandon, George Wilson, Lucia
Bowler, Lucy Evans, James Marshall,
Andrew Rogers, Toby Wood, George Tricker
Media Studies
by Christine Westwood, Teacher of Media
Studies
Well done to the following students who
achieved top marks for production in the
Year 10 ‘Music Magazine Covers’ project:
Annabel Frogley, Summer Morley, Sophie
Lawson, Shanelle Owen, Aimee Malkin,
Rosie Wright, Lilly Wade, Ed Tagg, Kendra
Goddard, Grace Gould, Bethany Hartley,
Ethan Gee, Tom Manning
After our success with Schools Will Rock You last year, we wondered how on
earth we could follow it. Which popular blockbuster could really cut it, and
how could we match it? Well, the 120 strong cast and crew from all year
groups, and partner school involvement from Hardwick, Westley and St
James Middle Schools, did exactly that. In fact, according to the reviews,
they pulled it off in style. These are just a few of the comments we received
on our Facebook Page after the shows…
“Wow, wow, wow…to say the performance last night was great is an
understatement. It was incredible and every single student contributed to
created such an atmospheric production!! So honoured that my boys are
part a school that embraces and encourages diversity and
inclusiveness......can't wait for the next big production...and a massive
thank you for the best show ever”
“What a fantastic production of Grease. Everyone was amazing!! Very
professional!!”
“King Edward VI School is truly a gem in Bury St. Edmunds. Year after year
you exceed my expectations by about a million miles and tonight you did it
again.”
“Congratulations to everyone involved. I am so proud to be associated with
your school and everything it stands for. Very well done and have a
wonderful Christmas!”
And so, yet again, our students ensured that King Edward VI School history
was made…
Identified as having shown high levels of effort and
engagement: Sam Alberts, Lucy Ambrose, Jess Cleverdon,
Annabel Frogley, Mia Ginders-Alderton, Amy Handley,
Chelsea Ribbon, Ellie Barford, Sam Chapman, Joe Kydd,
Morgan Smith, Eleni Haines, Megan Barber, Katie Beard,
Natasha Buckingham-Redman, Jasmine Doe, Josh Ely, Alice
Plampin, Hollie Lister, Christopher Osborn, Joanna
Phirippis, Ollie Remington, Ellie Farnell, Maya Dwane.
Recognised for great commitment to extracurricular
activities: Ed Mitchell, Ollie Remington, Chris Osborn, Shey
Spears, Toby Skelton, Matt Green, Audrey Woodhouse, Jess
Bugg, Grace Buck, Ella Shipley, Jess Cleverdon, Rosie Barnes,
Erin Mann, Megan Barber, George Clay, Rachel Marshall,
Molly Stacey, Ellie Johnson.
Recognised for their leadership: Toby Skelton, Rosie Barnes,
Shey Spears, Ella Shipley.
This year, the Arts Festival was bigger and better than ever with
extras such as 'Open Mic' sessions and the brilliant 'Industry
Education in Music' workshops. The IEM team worked with
musicians and singers of all abilities on songwriting, musicianship
and the dynamics of playing in bands. Whether you are a budding
superstar or a casual participant, the Arts Festival is designed to
inspire you to get involved.
Stars Come Out to Help
by Jonathan Lodge, Head of Drama
120 students from Hardwick, St James and Westley Middle
Schools watched the dress rehearsal of Grease in the lead up to
the shows. Joining them, and later giving performance tips to help
the 110 strong cast and crew was Andrew Simeon Lewis, a
professional performer from London's West End whose career has
included Grease, We Will Rock You and Starlight Express. Our
Performing Arts staff are well connected with professionals from
the industry, and are aiming to nurture these relationships and
continue to bring the arts world alive for our students.
Celebrating our Colleges
Celebrating our Colleges
Hengrave College
Kentwell College
Ickworth College
by Izzy King (Year 11)
by Rob Johnson, Head of College
by Andy McLellan, Head of College
Party on Hengrave!
The students of Hengrave College are aiming to raise
money for the Teenage Cancer Trust by planning to
break the world record for the number of party
poppers released at one time. The College leaders are
hoping to enrol as many people as possible to help
achieve this goal early in the New Year.
After a busy and exciting term, I am proud to say that 58
students gained the '100% Attendance Award' this term,
with the lucky iPod winner being Katie Brighton in Year 12.
Well done to all students who are really trying hard to keep
attendance as high as possible.
Support for Storehouse
Hengrave College students led the way in gathering
large quantities of food for the Storehouse charity.
Storehouse provides basic essentials such as food,
toiletries and clothes to help those most in need within
our local community. Thank you to all students from all
Colleges who donated.
First place for Kentwell Quizzers
Having trailed throughout the term, Kentwell stormed
through to win the Inter-College Quiz Championship in the
final week of term. Well done to all who contributed.
Dodgeball Winners
Students (from
left to right): Josh
Ely, Zoe Pettit,
Holly Dodds and
Elise Das)
I have been impressed with the attitude of our students this
term and I’m proud to congratulate 4 individuals for their
outstanding approach to school:
Josh Ely (Year 11) for his outstanding work ethic and for
organising tutoring sessions with Sixth Formers.
Well done to MT who won the dodge ball competition
having beaten HZ in the final, who were close runners up.
Amelia Austin, Meera Al Omrani, Ella Shipley, Isabelle
Copeland, Will Burgess, Beth Mottram, Tom Caruth
Seb Justin, Callum Grant and Lizzie Gray
Elveden College
After a busy, but productive term full of exciting
accomplishments, Elveden College leaders excelled themselves
by organising a brilliant end of term Achievers Assembly. Led by
Emily Haines (13 DW) they delivered a celebration of the whole
of the College with an array of entertainment and awards. One of
the highlights was the ‘Shelley’s Heroes’ awards for all round
excellence. Winners were:
Sarah Cooper, Cameron Woolnough, Joshua Finch, Nicola
Dzierzak, Chloe Board and Aleksis Butler
Year 9 - Larissa Ungureanu
Year 11 - Cydney Ault
Year 13 - David Strawson
Year 10 - Lucy Ambrose
Year 12 - Marie Copping
Tutor Award Winners were:
Joshan Lally, Rory Collett, Declan Howard, Amber Delglyn
Elif Mutlu , Becky Humphreys, George Wilson, Alice Bucksey
Lucy Kopferschmitt and Harry Burgess
Benchball Winners
Elise Das (Year 10) for her hard work, excellent academic
results and her involvement in extra-curricular sport.
Molly Chapman, Holly Clements, Natasha McCarthy
Tom Hurst, Lousie Harkham, Hannah Fleming-Brown
Alex Dexter Mills, Kallum Clark, Frank Edwards and
Shannon Riley
Finally, I would like to extend a big thank you to all the tutors
and students of Ickworth college. Your hard work and
achievements have made me proud.
Wyken College
by Penny Hunt, Head of College
by Sharon Shelley, Head of College
After a successful term for so many students in Melford College,
I am particularly excited to announce my choices for the
‘Melford Superstar’ awards:
Holly Dodds (Year 10) for an excellent start to her GCSE
courses, her organisation and care for others.
Winners of the Tutor Awards were:
Sammy Hepper, Lauren Toms, Gemma Grose,
Izzy King, Nat Owen, Alex Rudkin, Elizabeth Bevan,
Misia Fajgier, Max Bader, Hettie Jeffryes, Auke De Vries
by Rebecca Taylor, Head of College
Zoe Pettit (Year 9) for her growth in confidence, work ethic
and extra-curricular involvement.
Gemma goes to Hollywood
Gemma Grose (Year 11) won a competition to travel to
Los Angeles to meet the famous pop band ‘5 Seconds of
Summer’. To enter, she had to create a six second video,
relevant to the band’s songs and interests. This was an
exclusive, exciting opportunity and we are all very
proud of Gemma for doing so well.
Grease
Congratulations to the following students for their
involvement in the production of Grease. As well as the
three principals Jess Cleverdon, Ollie Remington and
Dani Standring, other stars of the show were:
Melford College
Congratulations also go to the Tutor Award winners for this
term, who were:
Kieren Bedford, Lucy Howar, Nina Allen, Georgia Walker,
Georgia Walker, Caitlin Brinkley, Anna Elliss, Milan Potgieter
Kevin Collins, Miles Orlopp and Harry Glover
These students exemplify what Elveden College is all about,
but I would also like to recognise all our end of term achievers
and the 150 students who made it on to the weekly ‘Elveden
Roll of Honour’. To all in Elveden College - I am proud of you,
and I wish you a very happy Christmas.
After a busy term of exciting achievements for so many
students in Wyken, I would like to highlight the following
‘Hunts Heroes’, who have made outstanding progress this
year:
Barney Maguire, Saskia Grant, Jasmine Doe Joshua Scarfe,
Cameron Tricker
The Wyken College Tutor Awards were won by:
Sara Lauder, Harry Macro, Casey Brinkley, Pippa Haddow,
Georgie Earnshaw, Theo Tsoi, Tom Barneveld, Ellen
Laidlaw, Cameron Haddow and Noah Horne
Miss Nixon’s team came out as winners of the benchball
competition in a hard fought battle - well done to all.
Finally, with the holiday beckoning, it just leaves me to wish
you all a very happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
I would also like to pay tribute to Year 9 student Ellie Llewellyn,
who manages to achieve in school despite her gruelling
swimming regime. For many, getting up in the morning is a
struggle; well, it is worth noting that Ellie gets up at 4am three
times per week, with a further three evenings spent training.
In fact, alongside her kickboxing, she spends a total of 12
hours per week doing sport.
Benchball winners
Well done to Mr Hobbs’ team who
won gold in the intra-College
benchball tournament, with Miss
Richards’ team grabbing silver, and Mr
Starling’s team picking up bronze.
Finally, as Head of Wyken College, I would like to wish all
students, parents and staff a very restful, happy Christmas,
and a fabulous New Year.
Celebrating Sport
It’s Official!
Gary Clarke, Head of PE:
Something we are always keen to promote is our philosophy that sport is for everyone. So, the child who progresses
through sheer hard work and a good attitude is just as
valuable as the elite performers we nurture. Participation,
enjoyment, leadership and confidence are at the heart of
what we are about. In the same breath, in a term where 61
sports fixtures took place with 87% of resulting in 'wins', we
are proud to celebrate some of these highlights, as well as
recognising other forms of participation.
Tchoukball players make
UK squad
by Mike Harman, Sport Development Coach
Over 40 boys and girls have received expert training
in football refereeing from Suffolk FA over the last
year. Many have progressed to refereeing on
weekends, as well as school matches, and their
confidence and credibility in the community are
growing. Among the various sports courses we are
planning to offer to our students, and community
partners are: FA Level 1 Football, RFU Level 1 and 2
Rugby, Sports Leaders Awards, Sports Leaders
Award and Netball Umpire.
JETTS Ball-Girls given
national duties
by Sue Sweny, Pastoral Support Officer
Year 11 girls Alice Temple, Hannah Chadwick, Alice Hunt and
Niamh Leeson were selected to be ball-girls for England’s
international match against Malawi at the Olympic Park in
December. The girls were chosen from several hundred to
represent JETTS Netball club. We are proud to be linked with
the club and to continue to support the girls in their quest to
develop their leadership skills.
Seven students have qualified for the UK Under 18 Tchoukball
training squad, with Sam Clark (Year 11) looking set to be
picked for the team heading out to Dubai in 2015. Other Bury
Tchoukball Club players Martin Wright, Joshan Lally, Ethan
Page, Niamh Farrelly, Andrew Rogers (Year 9) and Abdullah
Muhammed (Year 11) will also be pushing for a team place as
they train hard towards the championships. Carrying on the
King Edward VI Tchoukball legacy are former students Max van
den Oort and Harvey Dinkele who have since been asked to
train with the UK mens squad.
Trampoline team in
regional finals
by Rebecca Curtis, Teacher of PE / Dance
Celebrating Sport
Sport Spotlight:
Harris Lister
Year 9 and Year 11
Basketball update
by Danny Burton, Teacher of PE
Main Sport: Football
Favourite Food: Kebab
Favourite Colour: Blue
Future target: Athlete
Favourite Sports Team: Manchester United
Favourite Sports Person: Cristiano Ronaldo
Football: I started playing at Newmarket when I was
eight years old and was spotted by Cambridge when I
was ten. I then went on to play for Easter Junior Lions at
Needham Market. I joined Haverhill Rovers when I was
12 and I’m still playing for them.
Tennis: I’ve played tennis since I was nine and have
competed in regional tournaments.
Cycling: I’m also a keen cyclist and compete for the
county.
Swimming and cross-country: I was a county swimmer at
the age of 11, and I also run for the Schools cross country
team.
Cross-country
runners qualify
An exhibition game between our Year 9 and Year 11
basketball teams saw a great opportunity for both teams
to develop their tactics in preparation for their final
western area league fixtures coming up after Christmas.
Top scorers were Theo Stasiak (Year 10) and Ben
Whiteman (Year 11).
Volleyball team do
‘The Double’
by Danny Burton, Teacher of PE
by Rebecca Taylor, Teacher of PE / Head of Melford College
Elise Das, Fran Cole and Alaska Tuthill (Year 10) competed in
the Schools Trampolining County Finals, winning a place in the
regional finals in January, despite some nerve racking
moments and a spate of injuries. Well done to the girls for
their commitment and resolve.
U16 Girls badminton team
win again
by Rebecca Stewart, Teacher of PE
The U16 Girls Badminton A Team came first in the first round of
the West Suffolk Center Parcs badminton competition. This is a
great start to the competition and the girls are looking well set
for the second round.
Team: Siobhan Coleman, Antonia De Freitas, Ciara HamillLawn, Shanelle Owen and Lillian Wade
Mud puddles, pigs and golf balls were the order of the day at the
County A Cross-country race. Congratulations to the following
students who competed well and qualified for the County B Race
at Culford in January
Year 9 - Henry Steele, Tom Wright, Frazer Elsworth and Megan
Housley Year 10 - Henry Martin Year 11 - Gemma Grose and
Casey Maggs Year 13 - Seb Anthony
Sixth Form Volleyball Team
unbeaten in 5 years
by Danny Burton, Teacher of PE
The team beat St Benedicts 3 - 1 in a best of 5 game this term,
with player of the match voted in as Nathan Gauld. Despite
making his debut, Nathan helped to secure their 5 year
unbeaten record in style.
The U15 boys volleyball team went into the county finals
unbeaten, having previously won the Western Area
Championships. They continued their winning streak as
they beat Copleston, Alexander College and Castle Manor
to take County Championship honours. Man of the match
was Jack Stannard-Brown, and Sixth former Connie Gibbs
was team manager.
Team: Tom Manning (10SZ) Sam Nixon (10SX) Jack
Stannard-Brown (10BD) Myles Turner (10 MR)
Celebrating International Partnerships
Shanghai Advanced
Leadership
Science in Indonesia
by Kate Robertson, Abi Mauger andMegan Taylor
by Rob Walden, Assistant Headteacher
Celebrating School Partnerships
As the Bury Schools Partnership goes from strength to strength,
we are proud to celebrate the collaborations between King
Edward VI School and our Primary and Middle School partners.
Some 700 children have worked together on a variety of exciting
projects this term, with more to come in the new year.
Chinese performances
Westgate, Sextons Manor, Howard and St Edmundsbury
Primary Schools.
Maths in Space
by Jonathan Hobbs, Key Stage 3 Maths Coordinator
This year the ‘Shanghai Legacy’ programme (for students
based in England) was taken to new heights, and included
over 100 English and 29 Chinese students. Children from all
year groups immersed our Chinese guests in classroom
lessons, sport and dance activities and hosted them for
meals in their homes.
The trip to Shanghai in their own words…
Charlotte Wotton was one of a number of students who
wrote about the impact of being part of the Shanghai
experience this year. Here is a snippet from her log which
we feel captures the atmosphere of the trip perfectly…
“Before I knew it, I was tasting odd yet delicious food that I
never even thought existed! Around me, the endless skyline
was obscured by beautiful architecture, and the blinding
sunshine bounced off the formidable skyscrapers…this was
Shanghai! After a breakfast of noodles and Chinese
dumplings (!), we headed off to explore this magical, surreal
city with some Chinese friends we met during their visit to
England. I have made lots of new friends who live in China,
and have kept in close contact with all of them. The trip was
a truly life changing experience, and I personally couldn't
have wished for anything better”.
Other comments written by parents and students upon
about the experience of a lifetime...
“The Shanghai Experience has pushed my daughter into
areas of learning, leadership, tolerance, understanding,
a cce pta n ce , i n d e p e n d e n ce , p e r s ev e r a n ce a n d
determination that not only had she herself had not
understood, but I did not quite expect from her at this stage
of her development”.
“It was one of the hardest and tiring things I have ever done,
but it was so rewarding!”
“The trip has taught me so much, and I feel as though it has
affected my confidence (positively) massively!”
Operation Wallacea is a biology and conservation-based,
international project which gives young people access to
some of the most exciting scientific experiences in the
world. After a year of fund-raising and planning, 12 Sixth
Form students left for a two week experience in Indonesia
where they made important contributions to a real scientific
conservation project. Their physical and academic skills were
put to the test through daily lectures, open water jungle
drives, and treks.
Not content with leaving it there, in typical King Edward VI
School fashion, the students surpassed expectations by
fundraising to bring three aspiring English teachers (Fifin,
Ivan and Inank) here to the UK. The return visit has been a
great success and has been run almost completely by the
students themselves. The next project launches early in the
new year, and will leave in 2016.
The Team: Kate Robertson, Emma Jones, Jess Larwood,
Megan Last, Molly Stacey, Abi Mauger, Jacob Manning, Oli
Bos, Matt Jeffreys, Adam Place, Harry Unwin, Nathan
McClellan. Teachers: Georgie Brigden and Rob Johnson
Abbots Green, Great Whelnetham, Hardwick Primary, Risby,
Sextons Manor, St Edmunds, St Edmundsbury primary, and
Hardwick Middle schools.
Nine schools from across the Bury Schools Partnership came
together to explore the mathematics of the solar system. A wide
variety of activities were led by Year 10 students from King
Edward VI School working together with Year 8 Students from
Hardwick Middle School. The Year 8s then delivered the
activities to 40 Year 4 pupils from across the Bury Schools
Partnership.
Art leaders inspire
by Kate Brown, Subject Leader for Art
Ms Rittberg from Hardwick Middle School said “It was fantastic
to see our young mathematicians from across the age range
working together to solve problems, improve understanding and
have fun at the same time.”
The event was delivered as part of the ever-expanding Maths
Leaders programme at King Edward VI School.
Primary ‘School of Rock!’
St Edmundsbury Primary School
Special thanks to Stephanie…
Although Stephanie Thompson has never travelled to China, she
has been one of the most influential leaders on the Legacy
Programme since it began. The Legacy is based on home soil and
has enabled Stephanie and others to study Mandarin Chinese and
to lead younger students on a number of international projects.
This quote from Clare Lamb, Headteacher at All-Saints Primary
School in Lawshall, demonstrates the impact of the programme as
well as Stephanie’s skills and commitment.
“I just want to pass on my thanks for such a brilliant visit from your
Chinese visitors…the children were buzzing with excitement and
facts about China…I would also like to pass on how impressed we
were with Stephanie Thompson who came along to support the
Chinese students. She was an excellent ambassador”.
As part of the month long ‘Advanced Leadership
Exchange’, 28 students from Yangjing Juyuan Experimental
School in Shanghai entertained 200 primary school pupils
with a stunning lineup of dance and music performances.
This included a dance finale, choreographed by a
collaboration of Chinese and English students, and
interactive Chinese songs which saw the primary school
children leaping on to the stage to join in. The youngsters
were also given tours around the school by our Year 10
students.
80 St Edmundsbury Primary School pupils in Year 3 and 4 have
been studying the rock music genre, and to bring the curriculum
alive they eavesdropped on one of the early rehearsals of
Grease. It was a fascinating insight for the budding rockers as
they saw how music teacher Hayley Last pulled the 15 musicians
together to complement the stagecraft with a blast of the
fabulous ’50s.
Risby Primary School
A class of 14 Year 10 Art students and Sixth Form Art
Leaders welcomed 27 Year 4 pupils from Risby Primary
School to the Art Centre where they designed and created
their own ‘paper birds’. A return visit to Risby involved a
further 11 Art leaders who helped the youngsters to build
bird boxes to house their new paper-feathered friends. It
was a wonderful mini-project delivered by some fabulous
students. Izzy Bos (Year 12) said “We love working with
primary school children. They work really hard to get
things right!”
Art Leaders were:
Year 12: Megan Taylor, Emily Young, Izzy Bos, Lauren Price,
Naomi Halls
Year 9: Niamh O’Doherty, Mia Neal, Emily Day, Grace
Rosbrook, Owen Winser, Edan Walters, Libby Richards,
Sarah Conran, Lisbeth Stawarz
Celebrating School Partnerships
Stop Motion Magic
by Christine Westwood and David Gower, Media Studies
Primary Heads Praise
Ambassadors
Celebrating School Partnerships
Go Run for Fun
by James Sturgeon, Primary Schools Sports Co-ordinator
More than 80 Year 3 and 4 children from Ickworth Park
and St Edmundsbury Primary School joined forces with our
Sixth Form students to produce stop-animation movies.
After a launch which saw children planning their
storyboards and choosing materials, they visited our
Media Centre to receive tuition on how to use Apple Mac
computers, USB sound recorders and flip cameras. With
the help of our Media leaders, they then created their very
own ‘Wallace and Grommit’ style movies using fruit,
vegetables, LEGO and Plasticine.
Amanda Sledge, Deputy Headteacher at Ickworth Park
Primary said “It is extending their computing skills with an
added bonus of working with older students. Our Year 4
children will now come back to teach the Year 3s how to
do it”.
Partnership Cross country
by James Sturgeon, Primary Schools Sports Coordinator
Although the impact of this year’s Shanghai trip is fresh in the
minds of those who travelled, we always get reports of
transformations in confidence and leadership skills for many
years after. For example, after our Year 13 ‘Shanghai Graduates’
chaperoned Chinese students and teachers to local primary
schools, the feedback from the headteachers was striking:
Dani Standring (Year 13)
Lisa Tweed, Headteacher, Risby Primary School - “The children
loved the Chinese visiting our school...thank you! Also, please pass
on our thanks to Dani Standring and let her know how impressed
we were with her...what a credit to the school”.
Abi Mauger (Year 13)
Debbie Knight, Headteacher, Sextons Manor Primary School “Please pass on a huge thank you to Abi Mauger who was polite,
professional, confident and a delight to have in school. She
conducted herself very well and led a question-and-answer
session with 50 children and all staff present. She should be highly
commended”.
Last year's Head Boy and Head Girl have initiated a recruitment
drive which is now underway. On Easter Tuesday, they are due
to lead a brain-storming session which should provide a new
vision plan of activities for the Old Burians over the next five
years. Hopefully, a hockey match will follow in the afternoon.
172 children from 11 Bury Schools Partnership schools
took part in the annual cross country event at Howard
Middle School. Conditions were ideal, with dry ground
underfoot and a blustery wind keeping the rain away.
Reuben Soroashian (Ickworth Park Primary) won the boys
race and Jasmine Westcott (Gt Whelnetham Primary) the
girls, with Abbots Green Primary winning the boys team
event and St Edmundsbury Primary taking the girls team
title. Congratulations to all runners and thanks to all staff
and supporters who helped to run the event.
Over 200 pupils from Guildhall Feoffment, Risby and
Westgate Primary Schools took part in the mile long 'Go Run
for Fun' which took place on the athletics track and King
Edward VI School fields. Organised in conjunction with
Abbeycroft Leisure and 'NOVA' (the company that organises
'The Great North Run'), the aim was to engage children aged
5-11 in literally 'running for fun'.
The course was lined by our sports leaders who were acting
as race marshals, and the pacemaker was King Edward VI and
England race walker Callum Wilkinson, who was followed
stride for stride by several runners from all 3 schools. Well
done to all involved.
Celebrating Celebrations!
by Rob Walden, Assistant Headteacher
More than 40 students are to go back to their former primary and
middle schools in the new year, in order to help make the future
generation of high school children’s future transition informative
and exciting. Many of our students have fond memories of their
primary schools, and the idea is that they will re-connect and give
something back. They will assist teachers and teaching assistants,
and support by giving individual help to the younger pupils, as well
as helping out with sport and performing arts classes and clubs.
Our new website pages will reflect this wider range of events.
We are hoping to gather material about the school's
involvement in the reopening of the Theatre Royal in 1965.
Some school drama productions took place there and a
concerted effort is being made to assemble actors of that
period at the 2015 reunion.
As I write this, I look back on a great term with affection, and
with the stunning production of Grease, the Carols at the
Cathedral and the Year 13 presentation evening fresh in my
mind.
I would personally like to wish you a great Christmas, and a
Happy New Year.
Where are they now?
News of former students:
Yvie Morgan (Year 13)
Pusunny, Chinese visiting staff - Yvie was a wonderful ambassador
for your school, and the children here warmed to her enthusiasm.
Her confidence in helping our students to communicate with the
young English children was impressive”.
Ambassadors go ‘Back to the
Future!’
by John Ottley, Old Burians Secretary
What a busy calendar year we've had. The sporting events were
very successful, with a close run win against the school cricket
team, and a challenging outing with the Sixth Form golfers. The
Reunion weekend in September drew a goodly number of
former pupils with members of the Sixth Form leaders joining
them.
Photograph courtesy of: Bury Free Press
Ickworth Park and St Edmundsbury Primary School
Old Burians
Sixth Form students Kate Robertson and Megan Taylor
paid a visit to Sextons Manor Primary School with four
aspiring Indonesian teachers, in a bid to share knowledge
about cultural celebrations. The Year 4 pupils have been
studying ‘Celebrations’ as part of their curriculum, so
when they got the chance to teach our Indonesian friends
all about turkey and crackers, they took it a step further,
bursting into renditions of ‘White Christmas’ and ‘Jingle
Bells’. The Indonesians were over the moon with the
reception they received, and in return taught the children
all about the Muslim festival of Ramadan.
Clare Harris, former Head Girl, is now
the course director for the
undergraduate degree in Archaeology
and Anthropology at Magdalen
College, University of Oxford. She has
taught English in a school for Tibetan
refugees in India; studied for her BA at
Cambridge and attended the School of
Oriental and African Studies (London
University) to gain her MA and PhD.
Clare went to Oxford in 1998 and
joined Magdalen College in 2002.
Amy Donegan, all-round sports girl and
dedicated academic student achieved
a first-class degree in English Literature
in 2013. Having travelled extensively,
she returned to the UK to work for The
Eve White Literary Agency where she
spends her time reviewing and
hopefully seeking out the next J K
Rowling.
Celebrating Reading
Mr Barton's Holiday Reading List
for Parents
Caitlyn Holdgate Silver medalist
If, like me, you're someone who likes to slope off from the festivities
(and family!) over the Christmas period to escape into a good book,
here are my three recommendations:
1: Fiction: 'David Nicholls, 'Us' - a
hilarious and sometimes poignant
novel of family life
2: Autobiography: Marcus
Berkmann, 'A Shed of One's Own' funny, bad-tempered musings on life
3: Non-fiction: Charles Duhigg, 'The
Power of Habit' - a fascinating
exploration of how we make
decisions
Well done to Caitlyn Holdgate (Melford
College) who trains at Ipswich Skating
Club and competes in Artistic Rollerskating events. She recently won a silver
medal in a retro skate competition.
Happy reading this Christmas.
Geoff Barton
Bonfire Night dangers for
wildlife
Jessica Reynolds, ICT Administrator
ICT Administrator Jess Reynolds brought her hedgehog Snowball into school to
highlight the dangers of sleeping hedgehogs in bonfires on Guy Fawkes Night.
This is just one example of how staff and students are being given a platform for
raising awareness of issues they care about.
King Edward VI School
Grove Road | Bury St Edmunds
IP33 3BH
01284 761393
[email protected]
www.king-ed.suffolk.sch.uk
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