The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College

...Inspiring Learners For Their Future

All the latest news from The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College

www.ridgewayschool.com

December 2018

Issue 164

The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College 2

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Welcome to our Christmas edition of 'The Ridgeway News’.

You will see inside that life at The Ridgeway School and Sixth Form College continues to be as dynamic and vibrant as ever with Immersion days, Literacy Festivals, residential visits and much more. The Literacy Festival saw over 750 students taking part in literacy events led by nationally renown authors. The articles inside try to capture the excitement and enthusiasm of the many events.

Please can I encourage you to take time to read with your son or daughter. With the reading age required to access a foundation GSCE Maths paper being 15.8, it is all the more important that students continue to read and develop their literacy skills and love of reading.

The school website continues to provide parents with urgent messages, the latest school news and information so please do check it on a regular basis.

Christmas can be the most wonderful time and yet a challenging time for some families. May I take this opportunity of wishing you and your family a very happy, enjoyable and restful Christmas.

Best Wishes

James Povoas,

Principal

Principal

A word from the...


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Throughout the week commencing the 5th of November students and staff of The Ridgeway school, took part in a series of remembrance activities to mark the centenary year of the end of the First World War. The week allowed the students to understand the importance of this event and the devastating effect the war had on Wroughton and the wider Borough of Swindon.

The History department led the historical element of these remembrance activities, although it was the whole school who fully immersed themselves in the overall atmosphere that was built up throughout the week.

Each student received an assembly, led by Miss Stevens and Mr Bister which outlined the importance of this war, but also how to research family ties to the war itself through website searches such as the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (www.cwgc.org). As well as this Mr Hurd created a trail of local soldiers which were placed all around the school, so students could read about the local soldiers who gave their lives, but also get a sense of the scale of this war and effect on local community. Year 9 History students who have been studying the First World War in their lessons, created a visual memorial using 100 students which was photographed by a drone piloted by Stephen Smith. Students within their lessons took part in activities linked to the First World War, and the amazing work by the Art

department and their students created a memorial display that again remembered especially the local soldiers. On Thursday, the History department stayed after the parents’ evening to screen the Peter Jackson Film ‘They Shall Not Grow Old’ which the BBC kindly has issued a copy to every school in the country. This allowed both parents and students to watch the piece of cinematography that puts testimony and actual footage of the war together to create an immersive experience of the war; all proceeds from this went to the Royal British Legion. The week ended in school on Friday, where Miss Buttery had organised members of our local cadet forces who paid their respect by leading the school in a minute’s silence, with the Last Post being played by bugler Ollie Poole. The majority of the school gathered in Blue Court in order to pay their respects, and the moment was conducted with decorum by all, in order to create a truly emotional atmosphere that showed the respectfulness of the students at The Ridgeway.

For some, the mark of respect did not end there, with many students also being involved in the local memorial services on the 11th November, in line with the National Day of Remembrance.

I would like to say thank you to all of the students who conducted themselves so well throughout the week, and also the staff, who enabled this to happen. Mr J Bister

THANK YOU…

This year to commemorate the centenary for WW1, Mrs Gilchrist in the Reprographics department began crocheting poppies for purchase within the school in order to raise funds for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal. Recruiting Mrs Walke and Mrs Gladman, in just a couple of weeks leading up to Remembrance day we are happy and proud to announce the total sum raised they raised was an astonishing £107.42. To that we would like to thank all that made a purchase/donation towards this historical event and hope to have your continued support for next year. Mrs J Walke

RIDGEWAY REMEMBERS...


REMEMBRANCE EVENTS… Our Head Boy and Girl, Tomasz and Morenike, were honoured to represent the school at the Wroughton Remembrance Service on Sunday 11th November. It was a particularly moving service with members of Wroughton Junior School reading the names of the fallen from Wroughton whilst the Silver Band played a memorial song. Miss H Buttery

The Ridgeway Creative & Performing Arts team held their annual concert of remembrance which included performances from the Wroughton Silver Band, Wroughton Junior School and of course our Ridgeway Choirs. The slick transitions from band to choir was superb and every student performed with passion and discipline, a particular highlight being the performance of ‘Can You Hear Me’? in which the choir signed the choruses (whilst singing too!). The concert ended with a combined performance of ‘Keep the Home Fires Burning’ sung by both schools with the Wroughton Silver Band playing the musical accompaniment. A service and act of remembrance closed the evening with Max Allen (Year 12) reading the Exhortation. It certainly was a humbling and reflective evening that was a huge success raising £1,277.33 to be shared between Help the Heroes and The Royal British Legion. Mr M Pentelow

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LIGHT UP A LIFE SERVICE…

Last Sunday evening, twenty two of our students gave up their time to sing at the Prospect Hospice ‘Light up a Life’ service. This was the fourth year we have been invited to take part in this event and it is quite a tough one due to the nature of the content and the personal stories and reflections shared. Our students were once again an absolute credit to the school and the CPA faculty, carrying themselves with thought, respect and professionalism. Mrs Jankinson and team were was very proud of them all, and once again received many comments from the public about their contribution to the evening.

We received the following message from Sheryl Crouch, Head of Fundraising at The Prospect Hospice:

Thank you so much for attending with the choir on Sunday, they really add so much to the service and sang so beautifully!! And “Fix Me” was absolutely fine! It wouldn’t be the same without you!! We have had lots of great feedback and considering it was such a miserable day we still had just under 550 guests which was really lovely. I hope you have a lovely Christmas & New Year. On behalf of patients and their families a massive thank you again.


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PRIME THEATRE VISIT…

At the beginning of October, Key Stage 3 students were lucky to be Prime Theatre’s first school audience for ‘The 11th Hour’; a Theatre in Education performance about soldiers in World

War 1. After both performances, students were able to meet the actors and ask questions about the performance, WW1 and the actors themselves. Prime Theatre are based in Swindon and will now continue their tour of ‘The 11th Hour’ in local primary schools. Miss C Hodgkin

SOMETHING ABOUT JAMIE…

On Wednesday the 5thof January over a 100 of our students visited the Apollo Theatre in London to watch “Everybody's talking about Jamie”. Everyone was so taken away with how amazing the show was, the atmosphere in the theatre was so special with students appreciating every moment. Some of our students were even lucky enough to meet Jamie Campbell whose life the show is based on. Mr B Faghihi

CHRISTMAS CARD WINNER… This December has seen the annual Key Stage 3 (Year 7, 8 & 9) Christmas Card Competition take place. This year has seen a colossal amount of entries, with The Art Department being swamped with various interesting and creative designs. After a few days of deliberations, and passing a select few to Mr Povoas and SLT, we are pleased to announce the winner… A huge congratulations to Tia Loveridge (8S2). Tia managed to get her design selected from hundreds of entries across KS3. The Art Department were very impressed with the creative use of watercolour, layout, and the creative use of The Ridgeway Logo, which was also picked up by members of SLT. Well done Tia! Mr S Millard

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BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS… The 2018 art exhibition “Bright Young Things” a display of outstanding Year 7, 8 and 9 artists work from last academic year, was such a huge success. It was a much bigger event than it has ever been before, with the opening night Thursday 20th September seeing around thirty families attend. The standard of work was the highest we have ever seen which made it so hard to vote for a favourite piece of work.

Congratulations to:

1st place Sarnai Sainbayar, Year 10 (Starbucks) Very closely followed by… 2

nd place Isabel Faria, Year 10 (Peter Blake Art)

3rd place Harry Viveash, Year 10 (Fanta)

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... CROSS COUNTRY SWINDON SCHOOLS… On Saturday 17th November 9 staff and over 60 Ridgeway students headed over to Nova Hreod to take part in the annual Swindon Schools Cross Country. It was a cold and bitter morning but luckily the sun shone through which meant great conditions for our students on the new lengthened course. We had some fantastic results as year group teams and individuals with the most notable performances coming from the following:

Year 7 Girls – Millie White (2nd) Freya Davidse (3rd) and Rosheen O’Callaghan (10th) Year 7 Boys – Joe Varndell (8th) and Michael Perry (10th) Year 8/9 Boys – Jonathan Vodden (1st) Jamie Sheppard (7th) and Sam White (8th) Year 8/9 Girls – Beth Davidse (3rd) Lauren Chant (10th) Year 10/11 Girls – Ayla Tonkin (3rd) Year 10/11 Boys – Harry Woods (1st) Will Palmer (2nd) Euan Balmer (8th) Senior Girls – Mandy Tonkin (1st)

We are looking forward to the Wiltshire round in Chippenham in February. Mrs G Allbrook-Dunn

T’YANNI TENDAYI MEMORIAL MATCH…

On Friday 16th November the Year 13 students set up and organised a cake sale and memorial football match for T’Yanni Tendayi. It was a great celebration of T’Yanni which we shared with his family. The Year 13s, who were some of T’Yanni’s closest friends split themselves into two competitive teams and played a fantastic match. T’Yanni was a talented sportsman and this tribute represented his favourite activities – playing football and being around friends and family. An amazing £172.21 was raised and donated to Royal Bristol Childrens Hospital. Mrs G Allbrook-Dunn

BASKETBALL…

Well Done to the Year 10 boys’ basketball team who beat Royal Wootton Bassett in the Cup quarter finals by 8 points! At the end of the third quarter the team were tied at 37 – 37, but stormed 2 layups and a 3 point shot in the last minute to take the win. We look forward to seeing the team play in the semi–final against either Bradon or Swindon Academy. Mrs G Allbrook-Dunn


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ROSS IMPRESSES ON HIS ENGLAND DEBUT… Ross Lester closed his 2018 competition season on a high by making a significant contribution to England’s win at the 38th National Skeet Home Countries International Tournament in Doveridge. Making his England Team debut, Ross shot an outstanding 147/150 to help England secure a 734 ex 750 overall win against Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Isle of Man and Jersey.

On an individual basis, Ross won the “Highest Placed New Cap” trophy (all age groups and countries) and two trophies for the “Junior High Gun” (U21, all countries and England). Rob Hirons, the England Manager, stated that “no other junior athlete to memory had made such a positive and significant contribution to the national team on their international debut.” Rob added “I’m very excited about Ross’s future…especially now that he has been offered a place on the British Shooting Talent Pathway.”

Ross wants to thank all the members of the England Team, the England Team Captain, the England Team Manager and the CPSA for making him feel so welcome on his debut. Ross added “I’m also grateful to Ridgeway School for supporting my busy coaching and competition timetable.”

Ross, now ranked number one Colt in the UK, added the above international awards to his growing major championship gold medal wins: 2018 English Open Major Championship, 2018 British Open Major Championship and 2018 Welsh Open Major Championship.

Fantastic achievement - well done Ross!!

ASPIRE CHANNEL SWIM CHALLENGE... We would like to say a massive congratulations to Ridgeway student Jess, who has successfully completed an impressive 22 miles in 12 days!! The good news is Jess has now proven she can make her own way to France next summer and dad can save money on the ferry cost.

U14 NETBALL TOURNAMENT…

Well done to the Year 8 & 9 Girls who took part in the Swindon U14 Netball tournament.

They had a tough pool which included Highworth, Abbey Park, Swindon Academy, Wootton Bassett and Commonweal. They played several close games with two draws against Wotton Bassett and Commonweal which allowed the team to play Dorcan in the next round. Unfortunately Ridgeway lost this match a very close 10 – 7. Throughout the tournament the girls were exceptional teammates who were motivated and enthusiastic. The support for each other was fantastic to see and we really look forward to watching them grow in their year group teams this netball season. Mrs G Allbrook-Dunn


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FOOTBALL COACHING SESSION…

On Thursday 13th September 2018, a handpicked selection of Sports Leaders along with Miss Pilgrim held a football coaching session, with the objective of furthering the knowledge and experience of football with many Year 4, 5 and 6 students. The focus this sessions’ coaching was to learn skills and drills to help boost their football ability. This included goal-keeping techniques taught by Sam White and Zoe Malcolm, ball control with Riley Embling and Izzy Field, spatial awareness by Bertie Jacques-Matthias and Louise Cady, dribbling taught by Skye Lamb and Angus Eastell, and finally passing with Juliette Bonnettti and Joshua Hockin. Overall the session was a success with a Sports Leader saying, “Today has gone as planned meaning it’s gone very well. We also have many rising football stars in the mix. brilliant!” A Moredon student called Sophie said “Brilliant! I enjoyed the goal keeping the most and will be using these skills for the future.”

WHF FOOTBALL FESTIVAL… Back in September our coaching numbers rose to six teams with over seventy students. These included Rodbourne, Moredon, Tregoze, Mountford Manor, Drove, and Croft. They were all very competitive teams with great spirits and had high hopes of winning. The first match was very tense and ended at an amazing 8-0 to Tregoze against Mountford Manor. To keep up the children’s energy and to let them have fun we have set up a prep-warm up for the teams only when they aren’t playing competitively. All six schools stayed focused and happy whilst playing each game whatever the end result. Miss T Pilgrim

CONGRATULATIONS…

A huge congratulations to the Year 9 and under 16 team who defeated St. Joseph College in our netball fixtures on Wednesday 10th October. Both teams played extremely well and showed great commitment and communication skills. The final scores were Year 9, 19–7 and under 16, 27–9. A special mention to Kara Morcumb and Thea Rhodes who were nominated most valuable players. Mrs G Allbrook-Dunn

For all the latest school news and

updates please visit our weekly

Principal’s Blog at

www.ridgewayschool.com


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YEAR 7 CAMP...

Wow, what a great week Year 7 had on the residential trip this year! Despite the weather, students took part in some incredibly wet activities like sea kayaking, jumbo sup and raft building. It may have been a bit chilly, but it was a great way to make new friends and be part of The Ridgeway community. We also made fire in the woods, climbed the Jurassic Coast cliffs and saw the twinkling lights of Swanage at night when we went crabbing. Year 7 blew us away with their thoughtful spirit, determination and resilience. What a great end to the first term of Year 7! Mrs K Stamp

MAESYLADE OUTDOOR TRIP... On Wednesday 31st October thirty-six students and seven members of staff braved an early morning start to travel to the Brecon Beacons for an action packed trip with lots of adventure. Students had the opportunity to take part in a specialist course in either Kayaking, Climbing, Caving or Mountain Biking. As soon as the students arrived at the Maesylade centre it was straight out for a day of activities and an opportunity for students to get to grips with their chosen skill. Over the course of the four days students showed fantastic resilience to enhance their skill set and confidence mastering each activity. The evenings were just jam packed with Orienteeing, a night walk navigation master class from Mr Sims and an exciting laser tag tournament.

It was a pleasure to spend the week with the students who were fantastic throughout.

Most Improved Skill Set Prizes: Caving – Elina Howell: Kayaking – Laura Hughes: Climbing – Holly Whyle: Mountain Biking – Abigail Cloughton

Star of the Week Prizes: Caving – Michael Doney Jnr: Kayaking – Ben Matthews: Climbing – Ashley Brooks: Mountain Biking – James Mees

Thank you to Mr Wakefield, Mr Sims, Mr Pittaway, Mr Gregory and Mr Care for their support throughout the trip – throwing themselves into water, caves or climbing up a mountain.

We are really looking forward to seeing these students immerse themselves into the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh next year. Mrs G Allbrook-Dunn


DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD FOR SEN…

10th September 2018, Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre.

I attended this introductory leaders course for Duke of Edinburgh Award as it was specially geared towards supporting SEN participants. The course included the general introduction that all DofE leaders receive, but all the delegates were people who work with vulnerable/SEN students. The course was part-funded by the MariaMarina foundation[1]; they support organisations which enable people, in particular the young, to transform their lives in a positive way.

I was reassured that the DofE is keen to enable all participants – those with visible disabilities and those whose obstacles are invisible – as their mission is towards self-improvement, not a set standard. For instance, during a Bronze-level expedition, participants must travel under their own steam for three hours, but there is no set distance, either for the route or for how far it is from home (though clearly, the whole point is to enjoy an adventure!). It is important for participants to match their strengths and enthusiasms to the other aspects of DofE, as this will make it easier to complete (though there is no ‘fail’ category, only ‘deferred’).

DofE Bronze Award can now be started during the school year in which the student turns 14 (as opposed to starting on or after the date the student turns 14½). The same for Silver (15) and Gold (16).

DofE is non-competitive. Participants only seek to improve upon their own character, performance and ability (self-development). Various requirements are set for this. However, the DofE recognises that it is not always possible for a participant to meet one or more of the expedition conditions because of a pre-existing condition. These participants can apply for a variation that will enable them to complete the expedition. Examples of acceptable variations are available from the Ridgeway School’s DofE co-ordinator, Mr Sims.

Variations must be requested at the earliest opportunity (particularly if the expedition is overseas) and must reach the relevant office at least twelve weeks prior to the date of departure. The written approval received for a variation should be included in the notifications sent in to the Assessor, so that the variation is taken into account.

Some things don’t need to be documented, such as the participant needing to carry a light pack instead of full equipment. Mr Sims has organised countless DofE Award groups and can answer any further questions on any of the four sections required for successful completion (volunteering, physical improvement, practical/social skills development, expedition and – at gold level – residential). His DofE supplies include all (yes, all) equipment needed for the completion of DofE expeditions.

[1] MariaMarina Foundation supports organisations which enable people, in particular the young, to transform their lives in a positive way and foster their access to education, vocational training, employment, social care and the arts. https://www.mmf.li/

Janet Georgiou, LSA, ASC SRP (Silver Block)

DofE BRONZE ASSESSMENT EXPEDITION... September saw the first DofE Bronze Assessment Expedition from Barbury Castle to Aldbourne. Sometimes students miss an expedition as they are perhaps competing for a national team on the dates or break a limb! This weekend was a catch-up assessment for these students who missed their assessment last summer.

They performed brilliantly dealing with navigation issues and camping out very efficiently in sub-zero conditions. On day one the route was from Barbury Castle to Mildenhall, with day two taking the team to Aldbourne. The highlight for the students was cooking and eating a superb meal after getting to the end of a long eight hour day on the Saturday. The team only knew each other by sight before the expedition and it was great to see them getting on well, working as a team and building new friendships. Mr E SIms

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Science took seventy nine Year 13 Biology students to Swanage for four days of essential practical work. Students spent their days on the beach sampling the biodiversity in various areas and their evenings in the classroom. Students were

very lucky that the weather was on their side and they managed to stay in the sun for the duration. All students successfully completed all the practical work they needed to pass A level Biology and behaved in an exemplary fashion. Miss M Tuck

YEAR 13 BIOLOGY TRIP TO SWANAGE…

GLOUCESTER UNI VISIT…

Some students in Year 11 had a brilliant day had at Gloucester University. They had the chance to try out the “Mock Court room” judges chair, were taken on the campus tour covering all the lecture halls, sports facilities, hall of residence and Student Union Common Room which was brilliant. Year 11 found this day really helpful and useful and found out what it was like to be a Uni student from the Uni Ambassadors. They had a team challenge to build a paper tower, it had to stand on its own to be measured. They were allowed to use paper, scissors, cellotape, however these all came in at a cost and profit was made based on how tall the tower was and how quick we could build it. Ridgeway students came second we had the tallest tower but had a loss of -£16. The winning team simply folded an A4 piece of paper in half and stood it up – it didn’t have the height but gained maximum profit as it took minimal time to construct. They rounded the day up with a team game of “Mint or Skint” where students had to decide on how to spend their payday wages to gain life points – the person in the team with the most life points won. A fantastic experience and a chance to consider future goals and aspirations. Mrs G Allbrook-Dunn

THE LIVING RAINFOREST TRIP…

On Tuesday 20th November, the Geography department took one hundred Year 8 students to the Living Rainforest near Newbury.

The day, for half the group, started with a guided tour on the amazing adaptations that both plants and animals have in the tropical rainforest. The students saw ‘Black Magic’ and its amazing capability at allowing water to simply run off ifs leaf, they learnt about the camouflage techniques of the boa constrictors and witnessed first-hand the strength of a sloth’s claw. The students were then able to explore the rainforest, the butterfly house and to purchase a plethora of sloth related pens, pencils, cushions and cuddly toys from the gift shop.

Overall, the students worked wonderfully throughout the day and expanded their knowledge significantly on the adaptations in the tropical rainforest, which will help them greatly when revising for their upcoming ssessments. Thank you to all the staff that helped and supported throughout the day. Miss J Mowatt


ASC SRP VISIT TO FORZA RACING CHAMPIONSHIPS…

On Saturday the 20th October, Mr Rosier took five students from the ASC SRP (Specialist Resource for students with Autism), better known as Silver Block, to London to watch the Forza Racing World Championships. We left school at about 3:30pm.

On arrival, after we had been fully searched due to the live performance, we walked through the cinema to the screen where the event was taking place.

In 2016 Turn 10 Studios launched the Forza Racing Championship, a premier global tournament series celebrating drivers in the e-Sports community. This year the winner from the top 24 from all around the world would win £100,000.

It started and we were not sure what to except, in the end we got hooked!! We were even handed free T-shirts.

The tournament was still taking place when we left at 11pm. This was much later than expected. We came back home between 1am to 2am.

Here are two quotes from the other students: “Was the best time of my life,” and “I liked it, could have stayed longer.”

By Ryan Garland and Harry Brain

LECTURE BRINGS DINOSAURS TO SWINDON… A group of enthusiastic R6 physics students headed to New College to listen to a lecture by renowned Professor of Natural History Phil Manning from the University of Manchester.

The Lecture gave evidence on the events that led to the extinction of the Dinosaurs. Knowledge of the events that closed the Cretaceous period are still poorly understood. However, the latest technology and the discovery of new sites from around the globe are helping science understand the timing and mechanisms behind the extinction of the dinosaurs.

Students enjoyed the lecture given by Professor Manning but were a little disappointed by the lack of actual dinosaurs! Mr P Kench


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Thursday 7th December saw the first

Immersion day of the academic year.

There was a great buzz around the

school with a wide range of activities

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YEAR 7- GREAT BRITISH VALUES…

In mentor groups, students developed their knowledge of what makes Britain great through experiencing exciting workshops, which covered lots of different topics. For example ‘Multicultural Britain’, ‘Modernising Shakespeare’, ‘British Architecture’ and ‘How to train like a London 2012 British Olympian’ immersed students in Great Britishness by using different skills like art, drama, PE and engineering to complete activities. Mrs Stamp and Miss Ornov have created a display in school of what students got up to including some wonderful exemplar work and photographs. Well done Year 7, what a super day.

YEAR 8 - RESILIENCE…

Following the recent news stories about mental health, students got the opportunity to learn, reflect and participate in activities to heighten their wellbeing. The activities included Science and wellbeing, teamwork, relaxation, Ridgeway values and resilient role models .

YEAR 9 - FIRST WORLD WAR…

Following on from the centenary celebrations of remembrance, the History and PE departments, organised a day of activities, that would allow students to experience elements of the First World War, not covered in lessons. Each mentor group partook in different sessions, that included a cross curricular feel, which also had strong links to Swindon and the surrounding area. These included: Artillery development, which had a mathematical and scientific look into range and projectiles, the Court martial of Edwin Dyett, where students acted out a play about a soldier shot for desertion during the Battle of the Somme, a look at the media and art used in propaganda which encouraged young men to fight, a trip into a field hospital where students discovered the problems of nursing and medical care on the Western Front. Mr Fouracre showed the students the games and activities used for training soldiers during the First World War and a cinematic and linguistic look into the Christmas Truce, with the film Joyeux Noel.


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All students also got to experience the Trench Man presentation, by Steve Williams, a local historical reenactor. His presentation, explored the trials and tribulations of a solider on the front line. The day ended with the Trench Man firing off his Lee Enfield rifle on the field (blanks of course).

YEAR 11 - DRIVE TO SUCCESS…

As part of the Year 11 Immersion Day students focused on their January PPEs and ‘Driving to Success.’ The focus was about students finding strategies that suited them to aide their revision time in the run up to exams.

Students worked on rotation with sessions focusing on Creating a Revision Plan; Creating Revision Resources; A career and Post 16 session delivered by our Careers Advisor Polly Wiggins; An interactive session with Mr Hill and Mrs Allbrook-Dunn, looking at strategies to enhance knowledge recall and revision tips. Finally students had the chance to relieve some stress with a well-being session focusing on mindfulness with a few biscuits to help!

Every student was provided with a revision toolkit which included a notepad, a range of pens and pencils (in particular a green pen for student feedback!) and highlighters. Students were thoroughly engaged and felt they were now better prepared for their January PPEs.

YEAR 12 - UNIVERSITY TRIP…

For the first of this year’s immersion days, Year 12 attended Reading University where they took part in ‘Next steps’ lecture, a ‘Campus tour’ and ‘Degree Mix and match’ which had very surprising outcomes. Students were able to interact with student ambassadors and spend the day on campus. Students were outstanding throughout the day and fully submerged themselves in ‘student life’. They even took advantage of the weekly food festival. It was a highly engaging day which inspired students on life after R6.

YEAR 13 - PREPARING TO FLY THE NEST…

On Immersion Day Year 13 chose from a range of activities designed to support them in their planning and thinking about independent living when they eventually fly the nest! Students had the challenge of making a delicious and nutritious meal for their group on a £5 budget and could also choose to attend sessions on self-defence, living on a budget, student finance, travel planning, refreshing grammar. There was a wonderful atmosphere on the day, with students sharing ideas and worries about their next steps and really taking on board the advice and guidance given.


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SCREENPLAY FILM CLUB…

The first meeting of the Screenplay Film Club was held in the LRC in October and the decision was made to work on turning Five on a Treasure Island by Enid Blyton into a film. They had great fun talking about which book to film adaptations we’ve enjoyed and those that we’ve hated and the hardest part was picking the book to work on. In the coming weeks they will decide who they think are the most important characters to include, which scenes are unmissable (and which really don’t add anything) and what the challenges would be to making the book come to life. Even if you missed the initial meeting, you are more than welcome to join them. Mrs S Tonkin

GRAPHIC NOVEL CLUB... For everything manga, anime and more drop into the LRC during lunchtime on a Monday. The Excelsior Award is the only nationwide book award for graphic novels and manga and we are part of it. Come along to give your view on the stories, artwork, characters and dialogue. Previously known as the Stan Lee Excelsior Award, the books to be reviewed are chosen for their quality, popularity and variety of genre and artistic styles. Mrs S Day

LITFEST CELEBRATION…

To give him his full title, The Worshipful, The Mayor, Councillor Junab Ali presented awards to the winners of LitFest 2018 at a ceremony attended by over 150 proud parents, pupils, business supporters, librarians, head teachers and local MP Robert Buckland QC. Our victorious Book

Quiz team received an impressive engraved shield, year 10 student Ayla was awarded a third place in the Poetry Competition and student librarian Jodie received a Library Ambassador Award. Bower & Bailey Solicitors supported the event and generously provided gift vouchers as prizes to all students. Mrs S Day

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NEW AUDIO BOOKS…

A number of new audio books have been added to ePlatform. If you love non fiction, what about “Six Innovations That Made The Modern World” by Steven Johnson? Or if you like science but prefer fiction, a review of “Phantom Wheel: A Hackers Novel” says “ If you're like me and you love anything science-y tech-y, especially books about hackers (even though it's not technically sci-fi), then you'll definitely want to pick up Deebs' latest novel, Phantom Wheel.” Finally, if you like the current trend of spin-offs, you might like to listen to The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein, essentially, a retelling of Frankenstein from the perspective of Elizabeth - an orphan taken in by the Frankenstein family and later the fiancée of Victor. An online review says “The original Frankenstein calls into question what it really means to be a monster and, indeed, who the real monsters are. I think White might have answered that question.”

The full list of new titles is:

A Blade So Black - L,L, McKinney

Beasts Made of Night - Tochi Onyebuchi

Crown of Thunder - Tochi Onyebuchi

How We Got to Now: Six Innovations That Made the Modern World - Steven Johnson

Phantom Wheel: A Hackers Novel - Tracy Deebs

Sawkill Girls - Claire Legrand

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein - Kiersten White

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue - Mackenzi Lee

The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy - Mackenzi Lee

When We Caught Fire - Anna Godbersen

As always, if you need any help using the app then please pop up and see Mrs Day or Mrs Tonkin in the LRC.

SWINDON YOUTH FESTIVAL OF LITERATURE... The 11th Swindon Youth Festival of Literature took place in November, celebrating everything bookish! The week kicked off to a fantastic start with 290 students from our partner primary schools making some noise for author Mark Lowery! A full on audience participation presentation set the tone for Tuesday and a mwahaha kind of morning with Dark Lord author Jamie Thomson and our Year 8 students. We learnt that whether it is writing computer games or books for young adults – character development is key. Old friend Ash Dickinson dazzled with his performance poetry and Year 7 gave him a run for his money, proudly standing in front of their peers presenting shadorma poems with enthusiasm, creativity and imagination. Frustrated musician with thwarted Glastonbury dreams, Jonathan Meres author of The World of Norm books put in a performance of a lifetime at The Wyvern to a packed house of 550 Year 7 students, including 50 of our own. His top tips – to make a book appeal to a YA audience - include normal, realistic situations, with a humorous twist that teenagers can relate to. The end of the week culminated in a victory for our Book Quiz team as they were crowned champions ahead of 10 other Swindon secondary schools. Congratulations! Mrs S Day

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NORMANDY & PARIS…

The trip started in Normandy and Paris with a stop en route at Honfleur, a picturesque seaside town and port. This was just the beginning of an action-packed five days spent in France. Everyone enjoyed two days in Normandy where they had an opportunity to visit Mont St Michel and the American Cemetery near Pointe du Hoc. They looked at Arromanches, site of Mulberry Harbour and Gold Beach followed by a short film at the 360 Cinema. Students still had enough energy to make their own pizza in the evening, rolling their own dough! They then played games, including a rounders match between the teachers and students.

Students learnt about goat farming, feeding the goats and sampling the goat’s cheese before going tobogganing at the ‘luge’. They then headed for Paris and visited the Sacré Coeur. Students went to the top of the Tour Montparnasse with a magnificent view worth getting up early for. Other visits included Napoleon’s tomb and Monet’s paintings. They even managed to fit in a walk around Notre Dame, a cruise on a Bateau Mouche and a coach tour of Paris seeing some of the main sights including the Arc de Triomphe and Champs Elysées,. What a fantastic day! The last day was spent at Asterix Park before travelling home. Mr J Robertson

YEAR 8 GERMAN TRIP…

Fifty Year 8 students set out for Germany very early on the 1st of December. They had a very busy four days visiting three of the big Christmas markets in Aachen, Bonn and Trier. There was also a lot to learn about the history of Germany. Students visited a medieval castle and a museum about the history of Germany since 1945.

A particular highlight was a cable car ride over the river Rhine. The accommodation this year was very smart and people enjoyed playing table tennis and pool in the evenings. Big thanks to the teachers who came along to help and made the trip possible: Mrs Day, Mrs Melo, Mr and Mrs Simms. Mr J Robertson


CULTURE CLUB…

On Tuesday 25th September Culture Club restarted in the Languages Faculty. This is a club open to Years 7 and 8, where students can learn and experience more about the cultures of countries where other languages are spoken.

The theme for the first week was the Vikings, which involved students making themselves Viking masks, inscribing those with characters from the Runic alphabet, learning words from old Norse still used in English today and also eating some typical Viking snacks. A good time was had by all and 24 students signed up as members of the club. In October the Club had a Portuguese theme hosted by Mrs Melo, who is a new teacher at The Ridgeway in the MFL faculty this year. She taught them some of the Portuguese language and baked some custard cakes, which are typical in Portugal. Needless to say the cakes were gone in no time. Later on this term, students in Year 9 Language Leaders run sessions at Culture Club. This takes place every week in Y12, after school from 3:15 to 4:15pm on a Tuesday, and all Year 7 and 8 students are welcome. Mrs L Jackson & Mr J Robertson

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EUROPEAN DAY OF LANGUAGES…

Wednesday 26th September was an important day for us in the Languages Department. A day to celebrate all of the wonderful languages and cultures within Europe (and some beyond too!). As a department, we annually offer a wide variety of activities to our students to try out something new or different and this year is no different! From Continental breakfasts courtesy of the school Cafeteria to researching which words are borrowed from different languages to practising our tongue twisters and researching foreign language speakers from around the world. European Day of Languages is one not to be missed. Mrs L Jackson

MFL FACULTY GOES FULLY TECH..

At the beginning of term a delivery of 30 shiny new iPads arrived in the languages faculty for students to begin making use of. Then on Monday 8th October MFL teachers from all over Swindon came to The Ridgeway School to learn how these iPads can be used effectively in teaching and learning foreign languages.

We had a specialist trainer teaching the teachers, by the name of Joe Dale, who is a bit of a celebrity in the world of MFL. Students can expect to have lots of fun, engaging activities, using technology, which will help them to build confidence in speaking in their lessons from now on. All the apps we use in lessons on the school iPads are free and can be used by students outside of lessons too. Mr J Robertson


Thank you for your donation of £34.54 and being a part of this year's World's Biggest Coffee

Morning. We hope you and your guests enjoyed spending time together over a cup of coffee

and some yummy treats. As treatments improve, more

and more people are living with cancer in their daily lives.

We'll put the money you've raised straight to work to make sure no one has to face cancer alone, from the moment they're diagnosed, through treatment

and beyond.

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INDONESIA TSUNAMI APPEAL… Year 9 Geography students have been learning about tectonic hazards and the impacts they have on people and places around the world. After studying the impacts of the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia on 30th September, the students decided they would like to organise a fundraiser for the survivors. Over a hundred thousand people are in urgent need of water, food and shelter. Working together, our students set up an awareness campaign within the school and arranged an amazing cake sale, raffle and competition, raising a total of £171.61 that will be donated to the Disasters Emergency Committee. Well done and thank you to all involved. Miss A Curtis Slater

Thank you to everyone who supported Children in Need on

Friday 16th November. As a school we raised a fantastic

£1301.38

Thank you for your kind

donations of £34.52

R6 CAKE SALE…

Thank you to R6 who raised an incredible £171.59 through a cake sale. Your donation will help Macmillan to be there for people living with cancer and their families, giving them all sorts of support when they need us most. This could be anything from a chat with someone who understands, to providing expert cancer information they can trust.

Thank you for your kind donations of £34.52

Thank you for your kind donation of £34.52


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FORMULA 24 PROJECT…

For a number of Key Stage 3 students, the first couple of weekends after the summer holidays were very eventful! The Ridgeway’s Formula 24 team took part in their first electric go kart race days.

On the 9th September the students visited Dunsfold Park and completed a 90 minute endurance race competing against 51 other schools. We came 38th overall but achieved first place out of the 8 new teams that took part. The students were rightly proud of their achievement and were already looking at improvements to make to the car for the following weekend.

On the 16th September, the students visited Castle Combe for the last race of the season. The students took part in two 90 minute endurance races – finishing 42nd out of 53 in the morning race and clawing it back in the afternoon race to finish 39th!

The students were up against seasoned racers, so were incredibly proud of what they achieved. All of the students involved demonstrated fantastic team work and their attitude throughout the whole project has been inspiring! The season has now finished for the year, but we will be recruiting new team members after the October holidays to join some of the original team members to make further improvements on the car ready for the new season in May.

Miss L Hodge

THE GREAT RIDGEWAY BAKE OFF…

On Monday 19th November the Head of House Team held one of the most anticipated events of the year… The Great Ridgeway Bake Off! We saw a huge 50 entries ranging from mermaid scenes, forest landscapes and even an incredibly life-like snake. Many thanks to our guest judges for offering their critical eye on the morning and to Mrs Stamp and Mr Pauling for joining me in being the head judges.

Congratulations to 1st placed Olivia Jefferd for baking a magnificent lime and coconut mermaid cake which wowed all of the judges, to 2nd placed Scarlett Fisher for her wonderful flakey forest scene and to joint 3rd placed John Brice, for his replica of Silbury Hill and Theo Lewis for his 4 tiered, fruity victoria sponge.

We then held a massive bake sale with all profits going to the new, local house charities. In total we managed to raise £138.42, which will be split equally between the RSPCA, Stonewall, Macmillan and Wiltshire Mind. Thank you to all students who baked, iced and sifted for the day, all entries will receive 5 house points! Miss J Mowat


R6 News... MESSAGE FROM THE EDUCATION WELFARE OFFICER What a great start to the new term. Well done to all of our families old and new for getting the children ‘school ready’ over the summer, we all know how adjusting back into the school routine can be a challenge after a long break, so your efforts are much appreciated. I would like to take this opportunity to remind parents of our expectations when your child attends The Ridgeway School:

Children should be in school every day and on time.

Please try to make dental and medical appointments outside of the school day (where possible).

If a child is required to attend an appointment during the school day, we would like them to miss as little school as possible so we expect to see them in school before and after the appointment (where possible).

If you child has an appointment or is required to be collected throughout the school day, please write a note in their planner or advise the school office so that we are aware and can ensure this is properly planned and organised.

Any requests for holidays must be made in writing at the earliest possible point. Guidance is that the Head is only allowed to authorise holidays in extenuating circumstances, and so we encourage parents to book holidays out of the school term to avoid a potential fine/ prosecution.

If your child is absent for a long period of time (more than 3 days) or there are persistent periods of absence, we will require medical evidence so that these can be noted as authorised on our system.

Finally, we want to work with you to ensure your children achieve their full potential at school and therefore ask that if there are any worries or concerns which are affecting your child’s attendance, please contact the schools dedicated attendance officer, or myself.

I hope that your child/ren are enjoying their start to the new academic year and wish them (and you) all the best.

Cheryl Croft Education Welfare Officer for the White Horse Federation Schools

R6 SPORTS… As part of the Autumn sports fixtures in R6, Year 13 were triumphant in defeating Year 12 at netball, 18 points to 2.

However, order was restored the following week in the Year 13 vs Staff netball match with the staff winning margin at 19 points to 4.

A great couple of events, organised by the student R6 Sports Committee assisted by Mr Fouracre, following on from the Year 12 vs Year 13 rugby earlier in the term which also resulted in a Year 13 victory.

Miss H Buttery

R6 OPEN EVENING… On Thursday 11th October, R6 opened the doors to Year 11 students. The response was amazing with over 170 students and their families attending to look around R6 and to discuss their different subject options. The students enjoyed walking around the subject areas and gaining knowledge about course options. We had a number of external students who had travelled from different schools in the area, and who were all interested in finding out more about what R6 can offer. The Common Room café was a buzz of activity with free samples of food, allowing the students a real taste of Sixth Form life!

Miss E Launchbury


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YEAR 6 VISIT…

In October students and staff had a brilliant afternoon with thirty Year 6 students from Wroughton Junior School when they visited The Ridgeway.

Using fruit in season they produced a range of dishes including sausage and apple rolls, apple cake and scones. Working with visiting teachers form Bristol and Bath all the pupils learnt new skills as they cooked then tasted a range of different apples in season. Once the products were in the oven pupils were able to enjoy mini lessons in Maths, Science Geography and Art as well as learning vocabulary in Spanish and French.

We hope that the afternoon was beneficial not just in terms of the skills learnt but it giving then further opportunities to visit the secondary school which they are likely to attend next year. Thank you to everyone who participated.

YEAR 7 COFFEE MORNING… Year 7 held a highly successful coffee morning when they prepared and cooked a variety of sweet and savoury dishes to serve to parents, carers and grandparents. Attention to detail with meticulous care in weighing measuring and making, resulted in a standard of finish which was similar to a professional coffee outlet. There is no doubt that the students have excellent skills not only in making but in serving and entertaining.

When the event was first planned we didn’t appreciate that it was Children in Need day although a small stall selling bric a brac enabled enterprising students to make a contribution to the fund. A very big thank you to staff and guests from outside school who attended this event which gave the students confidence in their abilities. We hope to repeat this again with another cohort in Year 7. Mrs R Cairns

GO4 SCHOOLS…

I hope you son/daughter has had a smooth transition into the start of the new school year. We have been very busy preparing for the year ahead. A significant change to our administration has been to move to Go 4 Schools. This is a system being adopted by all The White Horse Federation secondary schools and enables relevant student information to be collected and shared through a single platform. This includes the setting of homework, attendance, progress/achievement, behaviour and rewards. It is hoped that this, when fully operational, will help with home/school communication.GO

Go 4 Schools is a web-based platform which can be viewed by students and parents online, there is an app due for release very shortly (in October) to further support effective communication.

Setting up the parental access is quick and easy;

Use the link www.go4schools.com then click the ‘parents’ button in the top right corner of the page. 1. Halfway down the page is a ‘First time user’ section. Please type in the email address that you have shared with school as the main contact for electronic communications

2. This will generate an email with a link to set up a password

3. When this is complete you can access information about your child including attendance, homework and any behaviour logs (house points and consequences)

We will make further contact when the App is available and how this can be downloaded. Go4Schools replaces Parent Portal and Show My HoMework.

As with many new systems there may be a few technical challenges or specific issues, please contact your mentor in the first instance to raise these and we will do our best to resolve them quickly.

http://www.go4schools.com/


SAFE DRIVE…

Wednesday 26th September we took our Year 11 cohort to the annual Safe Drive, Stay Alive initiative at Empire cinemas in Greenbridge, Swindon. After the initial hum of chatter and laughter, the cinema soon dropped to silence as our impeccably behaved Year 11s listened to the sombre, heartbreaking stories that these courageous people had to tell. The message was extremely clear and at times very hard hitting, however our students responded professionally and with courtesy through the films and speeches. Mr M Pentelow

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RIDGEWAY LEISURE CENTRE…After a three week pool closure in the summer, we were delighted to announce The Ridgeway Leisure Centre open again. After a summer deep clean and various refurbishments the centre is ready to welcome back all students, members and users.

The Ridgeway Leisure Centre is a dual run facility alongside Ridgeway School & Sixth form College. As a sports facility we are committed to inspiring the local community and students to become more active and lead healthier lifestyles. We have many facilities and activities the local community can enjoy during evenings and weekends including;

Multipurpose sports hall

25m Swimming pool & sauna

Fully equipped fitness suite

Large gymnasium

Squash courts

Outdoor pitches

Fitness classes Local clubs within the community hire facilities throughout the week and we strongly believe there is something for all the family to enjoy. Clubs and sessions we run at the centre include swimming lessons, swimming clubs, Scuba diving, Water polo, Martial arts, Badminton, Wroughton Youth Football, Rugby, American football and many more. For more information on membership options or to grab an up to date timetable and price list, please come along to the centre and meet a member of our team who will be happy to assist. We hope to see you soon.

Miss K Oakes, Leisure Centre Manager

CYCLE SAFETY TO AND FROM SCHOOL…

Please can we ask all students who ride their bicycles to school to ensure they are wearing cycle helmets to and from school. We are becoming increasingly concerned with the number of students who are arriving and leaving on their bicycles without wearing a helmet for protection. Whilst we understand some may use cycle paths and not use roads it is still recommended that helmets are worn at any time when riding a bicycle. Please can you discuss this issue with your child to ensure their safety to and from school.

Recent research quoted in the link below cites

At least 10% of deaths could have been prevented if the cyclist had worn a cycle helmet.

Around 40% of all cyclists admitted to hospital have suffered head injuries.

In 10% of hospital admissions for serious cycling injuries (skull fractures and brain damage) the injuries could have been prevented or reduced if the cyclist had worn a helmet. . https://www.capt.org.uk/cycle-safety

Further research by The meta-analysis by Olivier and Creighton (2016) based on 40 case-control studies. In these studies, 64,000 cycling casualties with and without helmet were compared. They estimate that the risk of severe head injury decreases by 69% and the risk of fatal head injury by 65% when wearing a helmet.

Olivier, J, and Creighton, P. (2016) cited in SWOV (2017) ‘Bicycle Helmets’ URL: https://www.swov.nl/en/factsfigures/factsheet/bicycle-helmets

https://www.capt.org.uk/cycle-safety

https://www.capt.org.uk/cycle-safety

https://www.swov.nl/en/factsfigures/factsheet/bicycle-helmets

https://www.swov.nl/en/factsfigures/factsheet/bicycle-helmets

The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College - Proud to be part of The White Horse Federation Multi-Academy Trust.

The Ridgeway School & Sixth Form College

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