The Weeping Window at the Woodhorn Museum

NewsletterPrudhoe Community High School

Spring Part 1

Prudhoe High School Girls football team with their heart4rhya picture - sending our condolences and love to all Ryha's family, friends and team mates

December 2015

February 2015

Our new school build

Sky Sports Gymnastics

Day

Bringing Learning To

Life

Prudhoe Sixth Form student offered place

at Oxford

Introduction

As we close for our half term break, we do hope you will take the opportunity to read through our latest newsletter.

Our staff and students have been really busy this half term, once again! Rehearsals for our school show are reaching a crescendo and PE staff have also been exceptionally busy with fixtures and sporting events.

All our Year 11,12, and 13 students conducted themselves brilliantly during their mock examinations and our invigilators commented on their excellent behaviour and focus during the recent examinations. Parents' evenings and events have been really well attended and we thank all parents/carers for their continued support and valuable feedback.

We hope you have a pleasant half term.

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As part of the Three Rivers Teaching School Alliance, PCHS are looking to recruit Schools Direct English & Maths teachers starting in September 2016. Please follow the link on our website for further information.

Prudhoe Community High School achieves Stage 2 of IAG Award

The level of support Prudhoe Community High School offers students in CEIAG (Careers,

Education, Information, Advice and Guidance) has been recognised by a prestigious awards body.

Following a visit from an external verifier who held meetings with students and staff from all levels of the organisation, we have just had confirmation that we have reached Stage 2 of the Inspiring IAG Award, after originally reaching Stage 1 back in June.

Assessors were impressed with the school’s “strong and total commitment to developing CEIAG” and felt that “students are engaged and involved in the process of career decision-making and planning”.

They also commented on the “mixed and experiential model of delivery that inspires and engages students”. One of the key features of this delivery which stood out to them was our Year 10 Careers Week. Prior to the Careers Week, 94% of students had never had a conversation with an employer; by the end of the week, all had spoken to at least 6 employers.

Mrs Williams said: “I am thrilled that we have been awarded Stage 2 of Inspiring IAG and work is already in place to ensure that it won’t be long before we reach Stage 3. We are dedicated to ensuring our students are able to make well informed, realistic career decisions about their future, and our Careers Day for Years 9-11 on Wednesday 13th January is just one example of this”.

Careers Day included workshops focusing on self-awareness, goal setting and career progression.

Bringing Learning To Life

As part of their 'A' Level English Language course, Year 13 students study how children acquire speech, reading and writing.

We try to bring the subject to life as much as possible and have recently visited St. Matthew's Catholic Primary School, where we thoroughly enjoyed observing Literacy and Numeracy lessons, an assembly, preparations for the Christmas Nativity show and even 2 trumpet lessons.

It was helpful for the students to see the theory they've studied put into practice, in terms of the ways teachers and carers adapt their spoken language in different contexts and of course to observe the children interacting with each other. We had so much fun in Nursery, our students didn't want to leave and the level of inclusion in the school was inspiring.

We spent Friday January the 29th at 'Seven Stories', The National Centre for the Children's Book, and thoroughly enjoyed the two sessions, led by Lynne Telford, formerly of Broomley First School, so for two of our party, there was an unexpected and very happy reunion. This was an opportunity for our students to reinforce their understanding not only of how reading is taught, but how small children can be encouraged to love books and associate reading with pleasure from babyhood. We role-played, rediscovered 'The Tiger Who Came To Tea' and 'The Hungry Caterpillar', book browsed and shared our own first memories of books we had loved. Lynn was amazingly informative and really enthused our whole party. We even had time at the end to enjoy the gallery spaces and the children's bookshop which are fascinating in their own right, as is the history of the former warehouse itself."

Prudhoe Sixth Form student offered place at Oxford

Staff and students were delighted to hear that one student from the Upper Sixth cohort has accepted a conditional offer to attend Oxford University.

Lucy Harper was ecstatic when she found out just after Christmas that she had been offered a conditional place at Oxford. Lucy, is currently studying Physics, Biology, Mathematics and Further Mathematics at Prudhoe.

Lucy, having had two interviews at Oxford, was thrilled to receive the offer from St. Peter’s College. The college itself has some notable alumni such as Emmy-nominated actor Hugh Dancy who has appeared in films Black Hawk Down and television shows, Cold Feet, Trial and Retribution and Kavanagh QC.

Kathryn Williams, Assistant Headteacher at Prudhoe Community High School said “We could not be prouder of Lucy. She has worked so incredibly hard and undoubtedly has a very successful future ahead of her”.

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Youth Parliament And Cabinet Elections 2015

On 9 December 2015, students from Prudhoe Community High School across Years 9-13 took part in Northumberland County Council’s Youth Parliament and Youth Cabinet election.

UK Youth Parliament provides opportunities for 11-18 year-olds to use their voice in creative ways to bring about social change. The manifestos of some of the candidates from Northumberland this year focused on priorities for young people such as: free school transport for all students, getting young people ready for the workplace and better careers advice.

On Election Day at Prudhoe, students from each tutor group were issued ballot papers and invited to vote in tutor time at a polling station manned by our Student Council. We are now awaiting the results from Northumberland County Council.As a member of Youth Parliament, students get the chance to attend events such as the annual sitting (a gathering of the youth parliament from across the country) and also the House of Commons event where you get to sit on the prestigious green benches.

Mrs. Warkman and Mrs. Williams who co-ordinated the vote, said that “Next year, we would love some of our own students to run for Northumberland’s Youth Parliament and Youth Cabinet. It is vital that the young people of Prudhoe understand the political climate and play their part in shaping the future of our country”.

Sky Sports Gymnastics Day

On Wednesday 10 February 15 of our most talented Year 9 gymnasts

travelled to Benfield Gymnastics Centre for a master class with Olympic athlete Craig Heap. The girls were lucky to have exclusive access to one of the UK’s top facilities and made the most of their coaching from Craig.

The day was part of SkySports Living for Sports Programme which Prudhoe high school have been a part of for a number of years. The PE department decided to cater the day towards our schools gymnasts, aiming to provide an extension to what they have been doing within their core PE lessons.

“I found the day really good as it was an opportunity to combine what we have been doing in PE with the gymnastics I do outside of school. The place was amazing and I loved how we had it just to ourselves for the morning” – Emily White

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Reporting Absences

At Prudhoe Community High School we take attendance very seriously. There is a

direct link between students’ attendance and their potential achievement.

Students' attendance is recorded electronically at the beginning of every lesson. Attendance rates which fall below 90% (19 missed days) over the school year give serious cause for concern. A 90% attendance rate can affect your child’s chances of success by a drop of one grade at GCSE level across all subjects. We are working hard to improve attendance across the school, with a particular focus on students who fall below 90% attendance. Your support is absolutely vital. You can help us and your child by doing the following:

• If you child cannot attend school due to illness, you should contact the absence line, 01661 832486 option 1, every day that your child is absent from school. The only exception to this involves informing the Pastoral Office, 01661 832486 option 3, if you know your child is definitely going to be absent from school for a significant period of time

• Take holidays only during the school holiday periods

• Make medical/dental appointments outside school time, where possible

• Discuss any specific problems concerning attendance with our Student Welfare Manager Mrs Watson Students arriving late

Late students must report to the Pastoral Area to sign in. We will contact parents if this happens on a regular basis.

Students leaving school early

You should contact school by telephone, e-mail, letter or a note in your child’s Personal Organiser, if your child needs to leave early, e.g. for a medical or dental appointment. A student must not leave school for any reason, without first reporting to the Pastoral Area.

SCA Hygiene Visits Engineering

Ian Callendar Apprenticeship Team Leader at SCA Hygiene visited PCHS this week with former PCHS student and SCA Apprentice Paul Kirkham to speak to our Engineering students about Apprenticeship

opportunities.

During the last week of the Autumn term we raised £691.85 for Save the Children. Over the course of the week each year group took it in turns to hold a bake sale with staff contributing on the Friday. On the last Friday of term all staff and students were allowed to wear Christmas jumpers with a £1.00 contribution ! Well done to everyone who took part.

Prudhoe Community High School, Moor Road, Prudhoe, Northumberland, NE42 5LJTel: 01161 832486

E-maill: Admin@Prudhoe.northumberland.sch.ukWeb: www.pchs.org.uk

Step into Sport Leadership

Ten Year 10 students attended the Northumberland Step into Sport

Leadership conference in Ashington on Thursday 21 January. Throughout the day they got to work with Sky Sport Living for Sport mentors England Rugby World Cup winner Tamara Taylor, ex professional footballer Christian Roberts and GB swimmer Alicia Armstrong.

“On Thursday I learned a lot of new things about life but also new things about myself and others. The biggest thing I took away was ‘anything is possible’. It will take a lot of sacrifices and you will have to work incredibly hard but you will get there. I also learned that it won’t be easy as only 1% will get there, but what is a statistic? A number…. It has nothing to do with your fire and passion. You will have to stand out, step outside and believe you have faith in yourself. No one else can do that, only you! If you do and have the passion you can be whatever you want to be, whether it’s a footballer or a nurse, you can do it!”

Brooke Salloway 10SJG

Junior Girls PositionJasmine Couchman 16th Qualified for County

Keeley French 18th

Junior Boys Luke Shears 12th Qualified for County

Inter BoysJack Boaden 25thMatthew Cant 27th

Aaron Ridley 51st

Inter Girls

Beth Fraser 31st

Seniors

Jaycee Shotton 11th Qualified for County

After a tough Area Championships held at Ovingham the above students qualified for the County Cross Country Championships held at Temple Park South Shields. On a muddy course and bright cold day the above students Performed admirably amongst tough competition. Jasmine, Luke and Jaycee have all qualified for the County Team and will be hoping to gain selection to the English Schools Championships held in March. We wish then good luck.

Sports News!

Under 14 Netball Girls - County Tournament - missed out on qualifying for semi finals on goal difference - 1 goal. Great performance by all.

Under 14 Girls football - at the winter break stage these girls are top of their league.Under 16a are currently second.

Under 14 Girls - Rugby attended their first festival of the season and drew with St Benet Biscops, beat NCEA and QEHS therefore finishing top of their group.

Well done to Maisie James who represented Northumberland U15s against Lancashire on December 13th. They lost but played well. She has also been picked for North of England trials

County Cross Country Championships