Newsletter - 005 Spring 2011
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Transcript of Newsletter - 005 Spring 2011
NNNEWSEWSEWSLLLETTERETTERETTER
SSSANDBACHANDBACHANDBACH S S SCHOOLCHOOLCHOOL
Issue: 005 - Spring Term 2011
Sandbach School has recently been accepted to the Arkwright
Scholarship programme, which offers fantastic opportunities for
young people to develop their skills and knowledge within Design
and Technology.
The scheme links successful applicants with the opportunity to ex-
perience Design and Technology in the workplace and may also
fund them through the sixth form at Sandbach School and through
a Design and Technology-related course at University. There have
been many successful applicants who link up with a company
whilst in the sixth form and their studies at university are subsi-
dised by the company, in addition to the promise of full time em-
ployment on completion of their degree course.
The scheme is open to current Yr 10 pupils who have shown a flair
and originality in the work they produce up until December 2011.
Applicants will then be chosen and will sit a short aptitude test in
January 2012, with interviews planned for the highest performers.
Mr Bowyer, Head of Design and Technology stated “This is a fan-
tastic opportunity for pupils who wish to study courses such as
Engineering, Product Design or Architecture at University to in-
crease their experience and also get funding and possible employ-
ment on completion of their degree. There are many pupils at
Sandbach School who we as a department will be encouraging to
participate in this scheme. It is a fantastic award for the school to
receive and continues to show how the department is developing.”
In the Spring Newsletter
• A Step Closer to Free School Status
• Arkwright Scholarship
• Sandbach School hailed as the cutting
edge of next generation learning
• Calling all parents: A gentle reminder
from the school Nurse
• YR11 GCSE Examination Study leave
• Sandbach School Adult Education
• Sixth Form Borneo Expedition
• Learning Support Department News
• 10th Anniversary of Fukien Secondary
School New Campus
• PSHE Day
• Viva Las Vegas II
• Insight
• Young Apprentices in Hamburg
• New Courses in Design and Technology
• Design and Technology Gifted and Tal-
ented Day—Saturday 19th March 2011
• Year 7 Flight Deck Project ‘Takes Off’
• Yr 12 Product Design students visit The
JCB Academy
• AS Government and Politics trip to West-
minster
• The Stables
• Think Tank
• Lost Property
• School Banner Competition
• CCF Biennial Inspection
• Sports Performance Base Layers
• Individual Sporting Achievements
• Sport
A Step Closer to
Free School Status The Secretary of State for Education has approved the
Sandbach School’s Free School Business Case thereby
opening up the way for the school to become an Acad-
emy with effect from September 2011. This will be sub-
ject to the finalisation of the Funding Agreement which
is the legal contract between the school and the De-
partment for Education. We do not envisage that this
will present any particular problems and governors and
staff look forward to us ‘opening our doors’ as an Acad-
emy in the autumn.
Drug Awareness Sessions
Cheshire Police are running two informa-
tion sessions for parents to raise aware-
ness of drugs and drug misuse.
Parents of Y9 and Y10 Pupils, May 12th,
7pm at Sandbach School
Parents of Y6,Y7 and Y8 Pupils, July 5th,
7pm at Sandbach High School
YR11 GCSE Examination Study leave
We have studied the summer GCSE examination timetable and it appears that the main body of examinations
will take place after the May half term break. This is mainly due to the Easter holidays being so late in the year.
This leaves only three weeks of school after the holidays before the examination phase begins. As a result of
this it has been decided that it is in our YR11 pupils’ best interests to attend their lessons until Friday 27th May
2011.
We also recognise that a select number of pupils may actually prefer to study under their own guidance at
home. If you feel that your son would benefit from this approach you are politely requested to submit a letter
stating that you would like your son to revise at home. The letter should be submitted to Mr Hall, Head of Year
11. This application can request study leave from Monday 23rd May 2011.
Sandbach School hailed as the cutting edge of next generation learning
On Friday 14 January 2011, Sandbach School were fea-
tured as being at the leading edge of online learning at
the largest international exhibition for educational technol-
ogy (www.bettshow.com ). UniServity hosted 5 students
along with Darren Bootherstone and Andy Sykes on their
stand at the show which is attended by over 30,000 na-
tional and international visitors and 600 exhibitors.
Sandbach School have developed a close partnership with
UniServity, the organisation who provide the Learning
Platform, and over the last few years have been awarded
the prestigious ‘Learning Platform Award for Excellence’
not once, but two years running as a result of their out-
standing best practice!
Talking to visitors from across the globe, the students proudly reflected the values, education and ethos of
Sandbach School, where ‘What you sow, so shall you reap’. They also expertly demonstrated Life, the next gen-
eration online learning solution, which Sandbach School has been instrumental in shaping.
Matt Clarke, CEO of UniServity said “We are very proud to be working in partnership with Darren, Andy, and
colleagues at Sandbach School. The school were invited to be part of the Innovation group shaping Life, as rec-
ognition of their outstanding online learning provision and commitment to the future of education”.
Launched on 12 January 2011, Life, by UniServity, is a next-generation online learning solution which shifts the
emphasis from teacher to learner. As Fiona Aubrey-Smith, Head of Educational Development at UniServity sum-
marises “Life shifts the responsibility of learning from Teachers to the Learners themselves. It means that
teachers are able to facilitate rather than administer, and it means that learners are able to own rather than re-
ceive. This shift in approach reflects Sandbach School’s motto What you sow,
so shall you reap; in other words, by Life empowering individuals to take
ownership of their own learning, they will be the ones that benefit; not
just at school, but throughout their whole lives. Darren, Andy, and their
colleagues and students at Sandbach are already living out this philoso-
phy within their school, and at UniServity we want to support them by
providing new technology which makes it easier to achieve, and opening
up innovative opportunities to keep pushing out the boundaries of possi-
bility”.
Darren Bootherstone, Andy Sykes, Callum Sinclairs, Alexander Stringer,
Ethan Lucas and Arshan Dadrewalla also all featured in a newly launched
film (found at www.uniservity.com) about the future of online learning.
Calling all parents: A gentle reminder from the school Nurse
As the hayfever season is soon to be upon us a quick reminder to those parents that have sons who suffer.
Please ensure they have had their medication prior to school and that they have with them, all that they need
during school.
If your son has asthma it may be exacerbated in the summer months, please check his inhalers are up to date
and that he has an inhaler available for PE. If he is due an asthma review with the GP it might be a good time to
go.
If you have any worries or concerns about your son I would be glad to hear from you and offer my support.
Thank you, Adele Jones : School Nurse
Learning Support Department News
‘Michelle’ aged 2 years has been adopted by the Learning Support
Department for the past year after arriving at Sepilok Rehab Centre on
16th June 2009.
The orang-utan was found on the edge of an oil plan plantation along
Sabah’s largest river, the Kinabatangan. It is thought that Michelle and
her mother, whilst searching for food, stumbled too close to the nearby
palm plantation. The local workers wanted to protect their crop and sent
dogs to chase the orang-utan away. In the scuffle mother and baby were
separated. Luckily the workers
rescued the baby and brought
her to the Sepilok Rehabilita-
tion Centre, although she was ex-
tremely traumatised she was
remarkably healthy.
In February 2011 Mi-
chelle has been real-
ised back into the
wild and is being moni-
tored and reported to be doing
well. Thanks to Mrs Lawrence
Sixth Form Borneo Expedition
Students from the Sixth Form will be visiting Sepilok and Kinabatangan River as part of their four week expedi-
tion to Borneo. The group are busy fundraising for this event and if you are able to donate old ink cartridges,
toner or mobile phones these will be recycled for cash.
After Easter there will be another ‘Bag2School’ event where you will be able to bring in old clothes, shoes, bags
etc. Please could you collect these over the coming
weeks and look out for further information in the Bul-
letin and on Parentdirect email news.
Thank you for your continued support, Mr Bootherstone
Sandbach School Adult Education
Want to brush up on a language for a holiday? (French/German/Greek/Italian /Portuguese/Russian/Spanish/Chinese)
Want to paint or learn the guitar or dance? (Painting and Drawing/Calligraphy/Rock School Guitar/
Belly Dancing/Salsa/Ballroom and Latin)
Want to know how to use a computer or improve your DIY skills? ( Word Processing/Creative Writing/Jewellery/Plumbing/Woodwork)
For these and more than 60 courses in total Google Sandbach School
and follow the links or phone 01270 767322
Email: [email protected]
PSHE Day
As part of a Personal, Social and Health Education day, on Friday 4th February,
Year 7 boys undertook a Recycling Challenge where they had to create a robot
type structures out of recyclable rubbish including small electrical items such as
hair straighteners, microwave ovens and mobile phones. The challenge was
judged by Lucinda Hodges, The Recycling Education Officer from Cheshire East.
Other activities on the day included a cycling challenge, a fitness challenge and
sessions on volunteering, and disability.
10th Anniversary of Fukien Secondary School New Campus
I was very fortunate at the end of last term to have been given the opportunity to visit our partner school In
Hong Kong, Fukien Secondary School, and represent Sandbach School at their 10th Anniversary celebrations. I
travelled with Susan Wiles arriving on Thursday16th Dec in the afternoon, where we met up with Peter Wiles
(previous head of Sandbach School). A few hours after touch down it was straight into the celebrations as we
were whisked away to the first of a number of Chinese banquets with a host of dignitaries!
The next day we were part of a conference for Principals from Hong Kong and China organised by Dr Lam, the
principal of Fukien. There were a number of guest speakers including myself and Peter. The theme was
‘Creating 21st Century Specialist Schools’ – my address discussed the impact of specialist status upon Sandbach
School. It was very interesting to meet and discuss current Educational topics with Heads from Singapore and
China, particularly as these Education systems seem to be flavour of the month at the DFE!
The rest of the time was spent sightseeing, meeting with staff from the school and attending their end of term
variety show and English musical. Dr Lam was very keen that Sandbach School was represented at the musical
as we have been pivotal in supporting their de-
velopment of the Performing Arts. In fact, two of
our ex Year 13 students Tom Morris and Adam
Atlasi were part of the production team for the
musical. The two lads are taking advantage of a
6 month placement at the school which has
been facilitated by the partnership between the
2 schools.
Whilst the future of our partnership with Fukien
is a little uncertain, due to the financial situation
in the UK and the difficulty of finding the funds
for student visits, I do hope that the visit helps
to cement the relationship between us and dem-
onstrates our commitment to maintaining it.
Sarah Burns
Don’t forget you can keep track of your sons daily school life, assessments,
reports, attendance and overall school experience by logging into insight
Go to www.sandbachschool.cheshire.sch.uk and click on the Insight link.
‘Viva Las Vegas II’ Matthew Ford, Natalie McGrath, Paul Newton, Andy Scott the ‘A Band’ and
the fabulous Vegas Show Girls, Friday 10th June, 7.30 pm Sandbach School
Theatre Space
It is with great pleasure that I am able to inform you about what will undoubtedly be
an excellent night of music and entertainment here at Sandbach School. On Friday
10th June our own School Big Band will be playing host to two of the country’s leading
vocalists – Matthew Ford and Natalie McGrath. Not only that but star Trumpeter Paul
Newton and the fantastic Saxophonist Andy Scott will also be featuring with our boys.
Pimms can be purchased on the lawn from 6.30pm
where ‘Out of the Blues’ will be entertaining the pa-
trons prior to the show and the audience will be
asked to take their seats for a 7.30pm concert start. Black tie is optional for
the evening in what is hoped will be a night to remember. Following the con-
cert, there will be a bar in the refectory until 11pm where again live music will
be performed by the group ‘Out of the Blues’.
I look forward to seeing you for what promises to be a night to remember!
John Barber
Young Apprentices in Hamburg
On Thursday 17th February, accompanied by Mrs Cooper, Ashley Cooke, Dale Kennerly, Nick Sparkes and Chris
Potts flew to Hamburg as part of the Young Apprentice Engineering course sponsored through Total People.
Joining students from Alsager and Congleton High schools we left Manchester airport for our six day trip. Dur-
ing the visit we were given guided tours of Airbus, where we saw how fuselages for the different types of
planes, from the Airbus fleet are manufactured. Airbus is one on Hamburg’s largest employers, employing over
30,000 people. As part of the exchange visit we were invited to the University of Hamburg and met students
who are in their third year of study. We took part in experiments and a range of aero dynamic activities which
are used when designing and building planes. At the end of this visit we made our way to one of Hamburg’s
Grammar schools and after lunch spent time socialising with the students in Year 11.
Although the trip had many highpoints eve-
ryone agreed the top spot was the visit the
Mercedes Benz plant. Arriving by bus we
were greeted by staff from the factory who
guided us around the plant which manufac-
tures steering columns, chassis and other
components. The production lines were fully
operational and we were able to see the
skilled labour force and specifically designed
robots working in total cohesion. The tech-
nology used by Mercedes was both awesome
to see and inspiring for the boys and girls
who were able to see cutting edge tech-
niques being used in Engineering. During
the next few days we had a tour of the City
of Hamburg with the German students and
their tutor, followed by boat trip around
Hamburg’s Harbour. We visited “Dialog-im-Dunkeln”, which provided the opportunity to experience how life is
for a visually impaired person. This was absolutely fascinating. We spent a morning at Miniatur Wunderland-
The largest model railway in the world; it is operated by over forty computers and is one of Hamburg’s biggest
tourist attractions. We returned very tired, but happy on Tuesday 22nd February to a balmy 2 degrees, which
was very welcome after the -10 we had left behind.
Design and Technology Gifted and Talented Day—Saturday 19th March 2011
On Saturday 19th March 2011 there was a Year 7 Design and Tech-
nology day for some Gifted and Talented pupils. The day took
place at Sandbach High School and involved pupils from both the
boys and girls schools.
The theme for the day was loosely connected to the London 2012
Olympic Games. The task was for pupils to work in groups and de-
sign and make a structure which would transport water half-way up
a mountain (well, a model of a mountain!). Pupils were also re-
quired to design and make a trophy to award to the winning groups
and were given full access to
the Laser Cutter and a range of
materials. Each group had a
combination of pupils from both
schools.
Judging was extremely difficult to do, with groups being tested on the
amount of water they could transfer into the vessel and the quality of their
making and the trophy they had to complete using 2D Design and the Laser
Cutter.
The day was an immense success and all pupils who participated worked ex-
tremely hard and their enthusiasm was excellent. The winning group con-
sisted of Lydia Duncan, Katie Warrington, Lilly Kent and Joe Skellern.
Mr Bowyer, Head of Design and Technology explained that he was hoping
this was just the first of many more links between the two schools and that
he was impressed with all the pupils. “In the end, it was an extremely diffi-
cult decision to choose who won as all the pupils were a credit to themselves
and their school.”
New Courses in Design and Technology
From September 2011, the Design and Technology department will be offering a range of courses for their Yr 10
pupils, which will help pupils opt for courses which may suit their interests and help them develop skills for the
future and possibly assist with their chosen career.
The successful GCSE Product Design will continue to run and this course is proving to be popular amongst pupils
as it offers the ability for pupils to research, design and make a product of their choice for a chosen target mar-
ket. Pupils studying this course can progress onto the A Level Product Design course run in the Sixth Form at
Sandbach School, which is continuing to develop with increased numbers and high proportion of pupils achieving
a grade higher than their target grade in their recent January exam.
In addition to this, the new BTEC Construction course has proved popular amongst pupils as it offers practical
and theory on Construction in the real world, with pupils being given the chance to develop their practical skills
and understand the Health and Safety requirements within the Construction Industry. This course is aimed at
those pupils who are seeking a career choice in Bricklaying, Carpentry, Joinery, Engineering, Plumbing and Elec-
trical Services to name but a few. Mr Bowyer stated “This is a very successful course which I have run in the
past and pupils enjoy the hands-on skills and the experiences they have on trips to Construction sites.” This
course is the equivalent of one GCSE.
The Food Technology Department has replaced GCSE Food Technology with GCSE Catering from September
2011, in a move which will allow pupils to develop their practical skills in Food and understand the principles be-
hind catering for a number of different occasions and clients. This course will allow progression onto Catering
courses and is ideal for any budding chefs!
Another Food course which a large number of pupils have opted for is the Jamie Oliver course, equivalent to half
a GCSE. Jamie Oliver has regularly been in the news over recent years, in a bid to improve the lifestyles and
healthy eating of the nation. This course gives the opportunity for pupils to develop their basic knowledge and
understanding of food and is practically-based.
Design and Technology Focus
Yr 12 Product Design students visit The JCB Academy
As part of the AS Product Design course, Miss Collier or-
ganised a trip to The JCB Academy in Rocester, Stafford-
shire, to make use of their CAD/CAM facilities. The school,
which opened in September is the first UTC and specialises
in Engineering and Business.
The students were amazed by the world class Engineering
and Technology facilities The JCB Academy has to offer.
These include a variety of CAM machines with latest soft-
ware, laser and plasma cutters, 3D printers and subtrac-
tive rapid prototypers, as well as manual machines.
After a tour of the facilities, they spent the day in the
CAD/CAM suite creating the parts needed for their ampli-
fier and lighting projects, which are two of the mini pro-
jects they are undertaking as part of the course.
The students thoroughly enjoyed the time spent at the academy and came away with a greater understanding of
technology used in modern industry.
It is hoped that one day we will be lucky enough to have our own laser cutter to keep up to date with the use of
modern technology and ensure our students are fully prepared for further education courses. If you would like to
make a donation to the Design and Technology Department to help develop our CAD/CAM facilities please con-
tact Mr Bowyer (Head of Department).
Year 7 Flight Deck Project ‘Takes Off’
This academic year saw the introduction of a highly en-
joyable project based on the 1970’s classic game of
‘Flight Deck’. The revamped scheme of work has allowed
pupils to develop their knowledge and understanding of
materials and processes, while having fun designing and
making their own version of a model aircraft.
For those not too familiar with the concept, the general
idea is to steer a scale model plane down onto a simu-
lated flight deck, scoring points for a perfect landing.
James May would be proud of the large scale version cre-
ated in the department. The ‘aircraft carrier’ and game
apparatus were designed to put the pupils’ skills to the
test in the central design area. This has allowed for a
competitive edge to be added to the project and the topic
has led to some fantastic models being produced. A num-
ber of the planes have been designed to be used on the
game itself and others as decorative desk top models.
The project has helped the department to cover the use
of basic skills, as well as issues linked to product devel-
opment and the changing nature of consumer demand.
The ‘International Rescue’ theme has also help to add an
ethical dimension to the pupils’ work.
Overall, the students have appeared to be very motivated
and engaged in the project itself and it is clear that there
are many talented designers in Year 7. It has been very
pleasing to see the pupils engaged so well in their learn-
ing and wanting to produce the best models possible.
Year 7 should be proud of their efforts so far and need to
keep up the good work; their enthusiasm is great to see.
Mr S Mills
Design and Technology Focus
AS Government and Politics trip to Westminster
Tuesday 1st February
The politics students had a great day out at Parliament on Tuesday. The MP for Congleton, Fiona Bruce kindly
helped arrange for the students to visit Parliament and go into the public gallery and witness politics in action in
the Houses of Parliament.
First stop was Downing Street, where we saw Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education coming out of a
meeting. Then onto Parliament, where after a long wait through security we entered the Palace of Westminster.
The students were given an in depth tour and were taken around the Commons and the Lords as well as tracing
the long history of the Palace of Westminster. A quick lunch in the canteen at the Commons and then we met
Fiona Bruce MP who gave us a great insight on what it is like to be an MP. Some students went to see William
Hague answer questions on topical issues such as the crisis in Egypt in the public gallery of the Commons whilst
the rest went to the Lords and saw many notable peers such as John Pres-
cott and Lord Falconer.
The students were even allowed to go into the area of the Commons where
all the Committees are held, an area that the general public aren’t always
allowed to go. We even got to sit in a committee hearing which was inves-
tigating matters relating to Human Rights. A fascinating experience and
one which few students are lucky enough to encounter. We were truly in
the corridors of power!
Check out http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12339616 to see the
students on TV. We are behind William Hague who was being interviewed
by BBC news about the crisis in Egypt just as we were in the lobby of the
House of Commons!
The Stables
The Blue Planet Aquarium was the destination of the trip this half term from The Stables and all of the boys in-
volved really enjoyed getting up close to all of the marine life on display. The boys learnt about the different
habitats that the animals live in and the type of foods they eat.
The Year Ten Alternative Curriculum class have taken over some of the allotments at school and with the help of
Mr Rigg and are planting their own vegetables. If all of the planting is successful, the boys plan to cook a meal
using the ingredients they have grown, later in the summer term. The 3rd of February saw the start of the Chi-
nese New Year celebrations, and the pupils entered into the spirit by learning some Chinese phrases, eating tra-
ditional foods and learning how to use chopsticks.
During the Spring Term a number of new courses have started in The Stables. The Year Nine Social Enrichment
course has been a great success. The boys have had the chance to undertake the ‘Teaching Values through
Leadership’ Sports Leaders course. This culminated
with the pupils planning and leading sports drills of
their own. The boys also got a chance to go rock
climbing. During this trip they had to be able to
trust each other to climb safely on the wall and all
of the boys involved have made great progress. As
they left, the owner of the climbing wall compli-
mented them on their excellent behaviour.
The Sixth Form buddy system that has been imple-
mented at The Stables has worked well this half
term, with a number Year 12 students volunteering
their time to help pupils lower down the school,
within The Stables. All of the staff at The Stables
are very grateful for the work that the sixth formers
have done and all of the progress the boys have
made.
Lost Property
This is a plea from Pupil Reception to please put your son's name somewhere in his PE kit and school cloth-
ing. Recently, we bagged up no less than 12 bin bags full of un-named lost property (which had accumulated
only in the seven weeks since Christmas) to send to the local charity shops - whilst we keep hold of some of
the sports clothing to use in school, we don't have room to keep everything, and it is so frustrating to see hun-
dreds of pounds worth of hardly-worn clothes just tipped into bin bags and bundled off out of our way.
A name just written in permanent marker on the label is better than nothing (I hate sewing name-tapes in
too!), but please ensure it is a full name, not just a surname or initials - hopefully we can then avoid some of
the issues resulting in parents having to pay out hard-earned cash to replace lost items.
Thanks for your help.
Year 7 Think Tank (Introduction)
This year with the end of the Dr Bunhead shows, we decided to change the venue of the Year 7 Science trip from
Catalyst to the Think Tank in Birmingham. The trip involved a wide range of activities from Chemistry Work-
shops, to a Body Blockbluster Show and the Planetarium with several interactive galleries squeezed in between
each activity. The pupils on the trip were fantastic and we were commended by the staff from Think Tank that
we were “one of the most well behaved schools to have to visited the museum”. For more details on how the day
went I will leave to three pupils from year 7 to describe it to you.
Ms Kat Gibbs
Think Tank
On the 14th January 2011, the Year 7 students went on a
trip to Birmingham, to see the tremendous, scientific Think
Tank. They did various activities there: learning about ill-
nesses, how the body works, history of work and more...
First of all, the Year 7s learned about diseases and acci-
dents. Then they answered some questions about how peo-
ple are most likely to die. Examples: How do most women
die? What is the main reason for people over 40 to die? And
so on. Although the questions were pretty hard, everyone
did well.
After, they moved on to things around the street. This topic
focused on things like: the underground pipes and cables,
recycling, what houses are the best to be made out of, and how we build houses. People’s most favourite was
the model digger! Once again, they did a quiz on this, hoping to get good marks. Now it was time for lunch and
to go to the gift shop - where there were amazing displays, and where they could buy amazing gifts.
Thirdly, it was time to go to the lab, and have a go at making
elephants toothpaste, which uses hydrogen peroxide, yeast, and
water. The Year 7s also had a go at making density towers. It
was a puzzle to try and work out the right order in which to not
get any of the mixtures mixed up... or else.
At last it was time to see the cars, the bikes, the trains and all
the different jobs.
This was the part
with the most
questions, some
were very hard to
find and some
were easy. They
got to look at some of the jobs you could choose from in Victo-
rian times, and even got to play on a game, which chose the
best route to deliver essentials: chocolate, gun powder, and pot-
tery. They took lots of pictures to show later.
After they came back to Sandbach School, the quote most com-
monly used was and still is: “It was amazing!”
Written By: Filip Labecki, Edited By: Jay Mayer
School Banner Competition
During last term all students of Sandbach School were given the opportunity to create a website banner for the
school site. The competition had a £20 HMV voucher prize which was won by Alex Gilmore Y12:
‘I saw that on the home page of the school website there was an ongoing competition for the design of the
school website. I decided to take the opportunity to create the banner. I decided to use Photoshop CS4 which I
thought would be most suitable for the banner – the layout was clear and gave an idea of what occurred within
the school life including sports, CCF, music, drama and normal school life activities. The price of the competition
was a £20.00 HMV voucher – this too was a motivator in itself – after the judges had looked at all the entries I
was announced the winner and received my prize, as well as pride, to see something I had created on a school
the size of Sandbach. The school has given me the opportunity to develop my skills in graphic designing; how-
ever, the greatest progress was made in my own time completing over 20 commissions
such as logo, banner, video, poster and business card designs. With the finalisation of
my own website (www.gilmorevisuals.co.uk) I hope to increase my skill and develop
this into a future job.’
CCF Biennial Inspection
On Tuesday 5th April the CCF underwent their
biennial review – an important event in the
CCF calendar and is effectively the CCF’s Of-
sted. The Reviewing Officer, Captain Evans
RN met the Head Teacher and Section Com-
manders before moving into the formal in-
spection of a guard of honour. He took time
to speak with each member on parade and
then took the salute. Senior cadets Petty
Officer Michael Kinge, Colour Sergeant Lizzie
Gear and Flt Sgt Chris Burrows , escorted
Captain Evans on a short tour of the School
followed by other cadets from all three ser-
vices giving informal presentations on their
experiences of the CCF.
The grim weather forecast did not materialise and the after-
noon programme of training activities went very well. The
reviewing team and a large number of parents were escorted
around all of the training stands. They witnessed the Royal
Navy section undertaking pool based training involving the
righting of a capsized dinghy and rolling canoes. The Army
section was seen setting up a harbour area and undertaking a
patrol. The RAF section took part in a command task involv-
ing putting up a tent, an obstacle course and a flight simula-
tor.
It was very evi-
dent that Capt
Evans and his
team enjoyed
their visit. He
spoke glowingly of the enthusiasm shown by the cadets and the
senior cadets for looking after him. He emphasised the values of
the CCF, how they were highly desired by employers and how by
being a member of the CCF this could help in later life. Finally he
thanked the Head Teacher and governors for their commitment to
the CCF and the officers for the time they devoted to such a de-
manding hobby. All in all a very good day.
Individual Sporting Achievements
It has been a busy term with regards to individual achievement by some of our pupils. In Athletics Liam Clowes
(Yr13) continues to reach new heights and clock faster times on the indoor and outdoor athletics track. He won
‘gold’ in the 200 metres at the AAA Under 20’s English Championships at Birmingham with an indoor ‘personal
best’ of 21.39!! He has also presented the school with one of his Great Britain International vests for display in
the refectory.
Oliver Williams (Yr 11) made his international debut in Orienteering when he travelled to Germany with the Eng-
land Under 17 Squad . He came second in his event and was the highest placed UK runner…..not a bad debut!
Senior Footballers Matthew Joines (Captain of School Football) and Ryan Smith, both Year 13 have represented
Cheshire County FA at Youth level.
Scottish Under 18 Rugby International Will Bordill (Yr 13) represented his country in matches against Italy, Eng-
land and Ireland. Will was a member of the Scottish Squad that recorded a famous 26 – 21 victory over England
at Leeds Carnegie. Josh Longson (Yr 13 & Captain of Rugby) represented the North of England at 18 Group in
the Divisional Championships (an England Trial!) Nicky Weaver and Jonny Lea (both Yr 11) played for the North
of England at Under 16 Level. After serious injury James Beal (Yr 12) returned to rugby action and represented
the Cheshire Under 17 team against Lancashire and Ryan Wolffe (Yr10) played for the Cheshire County Under
15 Squad.
Aidan McFahn (Yr10) took the top prize at the National Lifesaving Championships in Sheffield with his impressive
speed rope rescues. Well done to all!
Soccer Camp at Sandbach School - Easter Half Term
Time: 10:00am - 3:00pm
Cost: £30
Days: Tuesday 26th - Thursday 28th April 2011
Go to www.soccerstarcoaching.co.uk for more information
and bookings.
Sports Performance Base Layers
We have partnered up with an innovative new company called PlayerLayer, who are dedicated to bringing school
PE kit into the 21st Century. They produce some of the best Baselayer garments on the market as used by inter-
national athletes across the world. They are manufacturing Sandbach School branded PlayerLayer Products and,
by dealing with the school directly we have the opportunity of purchasing the garments with an attractive dis-
count. Playerlayer were also generous sponsors of the Senior Rugby Squad during the latter stages of the suc-
cessful RBS/Daily Mail Vase competition. The players used the products during both warm up and matches. The
garments are also used by the members of the Physical Education Department.
What is the PlayerLayer product?
A PlayerLayer is an under layer garment that our pupils can wear underneath their current sports kit during
physical activity. The primary function is that it will keep our pupils warm in cold conditions, increasing their
sporting enjoyment and overall experience. The technology of the garment wicks moisture away from the skin
and regulates the body temperature reducing the risk of injury. The PlayerLayer also protects the skin against
the cold, helps improve performance and recovery and has an anti-bacterial coating to prevent odour.
Please note that there is no obligation to purchase or wear one of these garments but we do know that many pu-
pils (particularly the Seniors and PE Department) do like to wear them and we think this is a premium quality
garment that actually makes a difference!
If you are interested in purchasing one (or more) of these garments then please go to the website page by visit-
ing:
www.playerlayer.com and search in ‘schools’ for Sandbach School
You can order and pay for it securely online. There is also a size guide on the page to ensure that you pick the
right size for your son.
Kings Camp at Sandbach School - Easter Half Term
Monday 18th - Thursday 21st April 2011
Go to www.kingscamp.org or call 0845 643 5272 for more information and bookings.
Sandbach School, Crewe Road, Sandbach, Cheshire, CW11 3NS Tel: 01270 758870, Fax: 01270 764787
e-mail: [email protected] www.sandbachschool.cheshire.sch.uk
SPORT The Rugby Sevens Squads took part in a variety of
local competitions. The Under 13’s managed to
make two semi finals at the Birkenhead School and
Adams Grammar School Festivals. Meanwhile the Un-
der 14’s and Under 15’s developed their knowledge
and experience of the Sevens game as they were ex-
posed to some top competition. The Under 16’s took
the Cheshire Schools Plate title hosted by Sandbach
School & Sandbach Rugby Club when they defeated
St Anslem’s College in the Final with a sudden death
‘Golden Try’ scored in extra time by Rob Richardson
(Yr 11). A great reward for the squads efforts over
the season.
The Senior Boys Seven had possibly their best sea-
son ever without winning a trophy or making a final.
They qualified for two semi finals at the County
Schools and Birkenhead School competitions and
qualified for the Plate Quarter Finals at the North Of
England Invitation Sevens and the Cup Quarter Finals
at the Fylde National Schoolboy Sevens. A superb
year of consistency and development for a very
young squad led superbly by Josh Longson and
Jack Robinson (both Yr 13).
Rugby Sevens
The weather could only halt one set of block fixtures
this year. The Seniors and Under 16’s enjoyed two
great Cheshire Cup runs with both teams being halted
in the semi-finals. The Seniors also took on Shrews-
bury School in their most prestigious fixture and
came away with a fine 1 -1 draw. Mr Malbon’s 1st XI
were denied a place in the Senior County Final after
taking King’s School Chester to ‘extra time’ only to
concede the crucial goal with 2 minutes to go! They
had saved their best Football for the Spring Term and
deserve great credit for the way they have played the
game and represented the school.
Football
The Swimming Squad have had a hectic Spring term
jam packed with galas and competition. They started
the domestic season by taking The Cutty Sark Tro-
phy when they went to the Bolton School Fastwater
Meet. A tremendous achievement by the younger
squad members and the coveted ‘Boat in the Bot-
tle’ returned to Sandbach. Pick of the other gala re-
sults would be victory over neighbours Kings School,
Macclesfield. The big day out at MGS Relays for The
Sutton Trophy resulted in the squads making three of
the ‘B’ finals and finishing a respectable 7th overall
alongside the top swimming schools in the North
West and Midlands. Well done.
Swimming
With the League Season complete it was district,
county and national events that took over. Congratu-
lations go to Tim Morris (Yr 9) and Mike Vennard
(Yr 10) both performed well in the County Champi-
onships and were rewarded when they were selected
to run at the Aviva English School Cross Country
Championships. From this event the top 8 runners in
each age group would run for England. Excellent big
event experience for the boys.
Cross Country
The Seniors travelled to the North West Regional
Hockey Finals which were held at Timperley Hockey
Club. They went as Cheshire County Finalists to battle
it out for a place in the English Hockey Association
Cup Final. An excellent day saw them defeat both the
champions of Cumbria (Sedbergh School) and Lanca-
shire (Manchester Grammar) before losing 3 -2 to
Calday Grange GS in the dying seconds of their cru-
cial last game. A great way to complete this season
and a springboard for future success next year. Year
7 , 8 & 9 pupils were involved in regular hockey club
nights throughout the Spring Term, spending their
evenings laying the foundations for their hockey fu-
ture under the watchful eye of coaches Evans, Darling
and Aldred.
120 players, staff and parents celebrated the season
in the Refectory at the Annual Hockey Presentation
Evening in March.
Hockey
Overall Sandbach finished second in the Cheshire &
Merseyside Schools League this year. This included
some excellent individual results.
Orienteering