Tony Rushworth - The Bicester School

Dear Parents/Students, As we approach the summer holiday, we are keen to thank you again for your great support for the School. It has been a tremendous year and the students and staff certainly deserve a well-earned break. For parents of Years 11 and 13, a reminder that the school will be open on both the Thursdays and Fridays of the weeks when the GCSE and A Level results are published in August. For the rest of our students we look forward to welcoming you back in September. Reasons to celebrate Much of this newsletter is a celebration of recent events, especially rewards, certificates and recognition for a year’s hard work. 90% of students have achieved a Bronze award or better. Over the next few pages are a number of photos showing winners of various awards for all to enjoy. These include subject award winners, Gold and Platinum winners and students of the year winners. May I congratulate all students who have earned certificates and prizes, from Bronze to Gold to Platinum, a truly great achievement which shows a high level of consistency throughout the academic year. I would also like to congratulate Attenborough House who have won the House Cup for the second year in a row. Well done to Mr. Bridge (House Leader) and his team of 200 students. Attenborough set a world record 213,813 points, 5,000 more than last year. This is an average of every student in the House achieving at least a Bronze award which is excellent. Staff leaving The Bicester School I would like to thank all of our staff who are leaving the School and moving on to other posts. These are: Mr. Tim Marston, Deputy Headteacher, who joined in April 2013. Mr. Steve Payne, a teacher of Technology who has been with us since 2014. Ms. Lucy Webb, a teacher of Technology who joined in September 2007 Mr. Vic Altaf, a teacher of Science and BTEC Co-ordinator, who joined in January 2016 Mrs Katie Schmaltz, a teacher of Maths who joined in September 2015 Mrs Kate Kirk, an HLTA in Science.

New roles in September 2017 A number of new staff are taking on new roles in September. Mrs Charlotte Roberts is joining from the Cooper School and will take on the role that Mr. Marston is relinquishing. Mrs Claire Shepherd has been promoted to Deputy Headteacher for the academic year and Ms Megan Wood will take on the role of Head of Year 7. Mr. Jonny Tridgell is returning to his role as Head of 6th Form after a year’s sabbatical. He will be supported by Mr. Chris Bridge, Head of Year 12 and Mrs Jo Waddams, Head of Year 13.

Tony Rushworth Headteacher

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Year 7 to 10 presentations What are you reading this

summer?

Mathematics Department News

Sixth Form Business Studies trip to Alton Towers

History students poetry competition

Visit to the Loire Valley, July 2017

Royal Academy summer exhibition

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra music gala

Primary school music workshop

Staff profile

Tennis success in the community

A brief insight to the EAL club

Year 10 students attend a ‘Pathways to Law’ event

Hanover Gardens

Student Spotlight: Bicester Blue Fins

Home School Agreement

General school rules

Classroom rules

*The Bicester School Uniform and Appearance Expectations

Rewards (Merits)

July 2017

Essential info – (Rules, Rewards/Merits and Uniform expectations) Finally, I have included some essential information in this newsletter which is to support all of our students in getting off to the best possible start on their return in September.

To help encourage positive behaviour, we use a range of rewards and sanctions. We have a rewards system that encompasses a variety of responses from house points to attendance prizes and certificates, and a sanctions system that will employ the loss of merit points, a short detention, longer detention or being placed on blue report for less serious misbehaviours. In more serious circumstances, red report, loss of privileges or exclusions from the school may be used. The sanctions are largely in place to ensure all of our students can learn without disruptions from others and so that our teachers can get on and teach. Mostly, of course, they are in place for students’ safety and personal health. That is why we do not tolerate bullying or physical violence, or make allowances for contraband infringements and will always take a tough stance against smoking, alcohol and drugs.

We have always been pleased with the strong support we receive from the vast majority of our parents in helping us to uphold our standards and we are very pleased to subscribe to the EPraise system that enables parents and students to track rewards and sanctions on a daily basis.

Included are:-

• Home School Agreement for students and parents signatures • School Rules • Uniform, Appearance and Expectations • Info about rewards system, administered through EPraise.

Who to ask for support and advice

We always wish to work in partnership with our parents on behaviour matters and use our tutor system and the Key Stage pastoral support team to keep in close contact when issues arise. Where necessary, more regular updates will be provided via the use of tutor reports/subject reports/etc. As well as contacting us by phone, there is also the option of emailing the school via the school website or writing directly to school staff.

Yours sincerely

Tony Rushworth Headteacher

Year 7 to 10 presentations

Gold Award – Minimum of 1750 HPs

Year 7 Gold Award Winners

William Barker Holly Batten Emma Benedetti Rhyden Blackett Elyse Caton Jack Cleary Zoe Cleaver Daisy Cooper Jenna Davis Madeline Eddy Emma Esquilant Jack Fuller Mia Gipson Jamie Girling Lewis Hawkins Isla Hudson

Leo Jayakody Thomas Kingsley Oliver Larkin Harvey Matthews Ethan Monaghan Maddie Neal Maria Piaggio Jessica Pickwell Rhys Pill Lucia Sammons Niamh Scott Ella Stevens Oliver Stone Remi Tutt Harvey Wheeler Year 8 Gold Awards Winners

Jack Biddle Jordan Blower Lara Brown Katelin Cavill Sophie Chatterton Eduard Cioca William Clamp Lauren Clark Matthew Deeley Charlotte Edwards Luana Franco Poppy Game Edward Jolliffe Elliott Keeble Mason Kernaghan Charlotte Knight-Edwards


George Mitchell Ellenis Panter Amber Price Morgan Robinson Tazmin Sale Hannah Savin Charlie Smith Millie Smith Eliza Stokoe Sinea Taylor Mya Truscott Lucy Vinall David Wilkes Chloe Wood Bethanie Woods Thomas Wright Year 9 Gold Award Winners

Emily Fitchett Callum West Evie Webb Alisha Gurung Amy Long Reece Walker Samuel Coppa Jake Ayling Tia-Rose Black Leonardo Garcia Amisha Gurung

Year 10 Gold Award Winners Zuzanna Potocka Will Sims Erin Anderson Frankie Eddy Oskar Harrison Ella Wood Lauren May Sabrina Antunes Trabuco


Rachael Gardiner Robbie Pill Charley Lewis Charlotte Whittingham Kyle Gunzofer Molly Price

Year 11 Gold Award Winners Jowita Dudzik Morgan Kelly Nikita Cooke-Smith Lisa Hartley Jasmine Truscott Thomas Horsman Max Edwards Kieron Wickens Harry Fitchett Victor Adejare Carolina Ferreira Platinum Award - Minimum of 2000 HPs Year 7 Platinum Award Winners

Matthew Bennett Hope Farrance Aidan Fitton Madison Martin-Coombs Iona McLellan Adam Newman Ellie Scott Abi Starkey Mya Thomas Georgia Usher


Year 8 Platinum Award Winners

Sofia Antunes Trabuco Selina Antunes Trabuco Jason Blunsdon Victoria Clamp Millie Couzens Caitlin Laverick Giovanna Pantanella-Fredericks Daniel Roberts Emilia Sims Lewis Walduck Faye Walford Olivia Whittingham

Year 9 Platinum Award Winners

Lucy Porter Logan Scarrott

Subject Award Winners Progress

Year 7 Subject Award Winners Progress

Charlie Carson – ICT Samuel Crowther – Spanish Madeline Eddy – Food Technology Emma Esquilant – Science Catherine Evans – Music Daniel Galley – Mathematics Darien Garcia-Garwood – English Leo Huntington – Geography Maddie Neal – Drama Adam Newman – Art Rhys Pill – History Ella Stevens – Religious Studies


Gregg Alexander - Spanish Ella Bateman – Religious Studies Elyse Caton - English Hope Farrance – History Declan Graham – Food Technology Leo Jayakody – Geography Alex Ransom – Music Isabella Savage – Science Ellie-Mae Smith – Art Abi Starkey – Mathematics Mya Thomas - ICT Charlie Wilkinson – Drama Year 8 Subject Award Winners Progress

Selina Antunes Trabuco – Geography Eduard Cioca Victoria Clamp – Spanish Andreea Costache – English Charlotte Edwards – History Poppy Game – Art Henry Gronow – French Amy Harrison – Music Daniel Roberts – Religious Studies Lewis Walduck – Mathematics Samuel Watson – Drama Taylor Wing – ICT Alfie Wright – Food Technology

Sofia Antunes Trabuco – French Millie Couzens – English Lillie Dunn – Religious Studies Erin Fabri – Food Technology Luana Franco – ICT Henry Gronow – Art Amy Harrison – Spanish Simran Kalsey – Drama Wiktoria Krzoska – History Roisin O’Hara – Music Tazmin Sale – Science Eliza Stokoe – Mathematics Lucy Vinall – Geography


Year 9 Subject Award Winners Progress Joshua Barr – Food Technology Kyle Carr – Music Sam Chennells – French Freja Freeman – Geography Spencer Griffiths – Drama Alisha Gurung – ICT Amisha Gurung – Science Shenelle McLean – Mathematics David Sawala – History Logan Scarrott – Art Alberto Silva – Spanish Aaron Wright - English

Jake Ayling – History Katie Cairns – Music Kitty Coles – Spanish Cailey Draper – Food Technology Emily Fitchett – Art Krzysztof Hepner – Science Miranda Hitchens – English Sesehang Limbu – Geography Amy Long – Mathematics Lucy Porter – Religious Studies Connor Shrimpton – ICT Lucas Taylor – French Brooke Wilson - Drama


Year 10 Subject Award Winners Progress David Adejare – Product Design Sabrina Antunes Trabuco – French Lewis Austin – Mathematics Joe Beauchamp – English Matthew Bensley – Travel and Tourism Ethan Cavill – Graphic Communications Maddie Cox – Media Studies Jack Earnshaw – Spanish Rachael Gardiner – Drama Lauren Gough – Food Technology Thomas Lewis – Science Zuzanna Potocka – Art Molly Price – Geography Oliver Smith – History Stella Smith – Music Summer White – Religious Studies Emily Wright – Computer Science Year 10 Subject Award Winners Academic Success

Sabrina Antunes Trabuco - Travel and Tourism Matthew Bensley – Food Technology Tom Couzens – Science Rebecca Draper – Product Design Frankie Eddy – Music Ben Greener – Computer Science Matthew Harris – Religious Studies Kitty Holt – History Zoe Jones – Graphic Communications Charley Lewis – Spanish Luke Pollard – Geography Zuzanna Potocka – French Molly Price – Drama Daniel Stoneman – Media Studies Libby Stringer – Mathematics Jacee Thomas – English Abbie Williams – Art


Year 7 Wider School Award William Barker

Year 8 Wider School Award

Ella Holding

Student of Year 7

Abi Starkey


Student of Year 8

Jason Blunsdon


Jake Ayling


Kyle Gunzkofer Charley Lewis


Student of Year 9 Miranda Hitchens

Student of Year 10

Kalaycia Robinson

House Winner

Attenborough

Roland Howard Deputy

Headteacher

What are you reading this summer?

Writing a book review: reviewing is a mixture of describing and evaluating. You must give the reader an idea of the book (genre, key characters and some plot details) without giving the story away.

What will I be reading as I globe trot between Spain and Slovakia, Bicester and Banbury? Well, as an English teacher, I read loads. On beaches, up mountains, on trains, planes, plains (The Kazakh Steppe last summer), in gardens or nursing a whisky in the corner of a bar. Have you tried reading whilst snorkelling? So cool. This summer, I want to read detective fiction (Elmore Leonard), spy fiction (John Le Carre), disturbing fiction (JG Ballard), plus a Shakespeare (Henry Vth), some poetry (Dr Sutton’s weird stuff!) and some non-fiction that I have not yet decided on. I will not finish it all but I like to jump from book to book. I might even do some writing. Hah, so profound!

Anyway, as a way of promoting reading, TBS is asking students and staff to take pictures of themselves reading in unusual places. You may have a book open whilst on top of a mountain, on a skateboard, in front of the Eiffel Tower or in the jaws of a grizzly bear. Wherever, you are, get a photo and send it to me during the first week of term and the most bizarre snaps (from KS3, KS4, Sixth form and TBS staff) will get a £10 prize. There will be another prize for the best book review!

These are some of the books that teachers are promising to read this summer: Mr Hollindale - Eye of the World by Richard Jordan (fantasy sci-fi), Mrs Laverick - Anything by Sophie Kinsella, Mrs Waddams - A Shepherd’s Life by James Rebanks (bio), Mr McAulay - American Gods by Neil Gaiman (Fantasy/sci-fi), Mrs Bennett - Get Happy (bio of Judy Garland), Ms Pollard - House of Spirits by Isabel Allende, Ms Kennett - How to be A Woman by Caitlin Moran, Mr Singh - No Surrender, My Thirty Year War by Hiroo Onoda (auto-bio about a lone Japanese soldier on a desert island for thirty years, thinking that WW2 was still happening), Ms Tatton - A Long Walk by Ishmael Beah (auto-bio of a child soldier from Sierra Leone) and Mr Sousa - I’m Your Man (a bio of Leonard Cohen).

Happy reading!

Katrina Nash Head of Maths


Year 11s have dedicated such a large proportion of their schooling in TBS to completing their GCSE in Maths and we are extremely proud of the effort and commitment of these students over this last year especially. During the final push 70% of students attended Walking Talking Mocks for both Higher and Foundation tiers with Mrs Nash and Miss Le Brun along with off-timetable session runs within the department after school and during study leave. The new 9-1 specification has been challenging for all students and teachers involved, but we are very impressed with the resilience of students over the 2 year GCSE course. They have taken the changes in their stride and are fantastic role models for all year groups which follow them now on this new path. With external exams now complete, we are looking forward to celebrating with the students come results day in August. We would also like to take this opportunity to wish them luck with whichever path they choose next year.

Our Year 13 Maths students have all worked extremely hard over the past 2 years to complete this important A2 for them. Maths is an immensely challenging A-Level and requires full dedication throughout in order to excel and reach the highest grades possible. Many students have therefore decided to re-sit Year 12 modules also to increase grades. The 6th form teachers within the department are looking forward to results day with this class. Year 10 now have the important task of stepping up to become our Year 11’s and role models within the school. This will also require a lot of dedication towards their Maths grades. Students are fortunate in being the 2nd year group to follow the new 9-1 curriculum and therefore are able to utilise the additional course material we now have together with the additional grading information provided by the government and exam boards in order to raise their grades in the aim of surpassing targets. We trust that our new Year 11’s will make a fantastic start to Year 11 in September and be fully prepared and equipped for the exciting year ahead. Our fantastic Year 11 Maths students this year, plus a few new additions to the school, who are lucky enough to be accepted onto the Maths A-Level course from September, will be welcomed with open arms. With the Maths new specification starting off for teaching this September students will be encouraged to think wisely about this choice of A-Level. Those mathematicians who find themselves loving every ounce of Maths, especially algebra, will thrive on the new course. It will be encouraged that as the new course cannot be dropped after 1 year down to an AS, that only those confident enough in the subject should decide to embark on this journey with us. We have an extremely strong A-Level department currently and look forward to providing different opportunities for both Maths and Further Maths students from September. Since our last newsletter we have had some fantastic results from our close work with the UK Mathematics Trust in our Junior Maths Challenge and Kangaroo Challenge. We have had some fantastic results in Years 7 and 8 including Best in School: Mia Gipson (7), Best in Year: Elliot Keeble (8) and Mia Gipson (7), Gold awards: Elliot Keeble (8), Mia Gipson (7) and Elyse Caton (7), Silver awards: Samuel Cole (8), Morgan Robinson (8), Edward Jolliffe (8), Millie Couzens (8), Georgia Usher (7), Thomas Kingsley (7), Abigail Starkey (7) and Kara Zdyrko (7) and Bronze awards: Archie Clare (8), Charlotte Knight-Edwards (8), Lillie Dunn (8), Eliza Stokoe (8), George Mitchell (8), Wiktoria Krzoska (8), Mason Kernaghan (8), Olivia Whittingham (8), Matthew Lewis (8), Richard Craig (8),Hope Farrance (7), Molly Hine (7), Daniel Galley (7), Adam Newman (7), Aidan Fitton (7), Ana-Maria Brichis (7), Elise Taylor (7), Joseph Catling (7) and Leo Jayakody (7). Many achievements all round and topped off with Mia (Year 7) also qualifying for the Junior Kangaroo paper. Huge congratulations to everyone involved in all events. During this time of the year, we always look forward to welcoming up our Year 6 students who will be starting with us in Year 7 from September. Transition day is loved by all with no exception this year. Students from a range of local, and slightly further afield primaries have spent a day with us studying Maths, Science and Art in their new form groups. Within Maths, we have been studying how a spiral can be made perfectly using maths. The art of spirals is beautiful and when students start to understand how they are created, it opens up a world of possibilities. The use of the Fibonacci series is

Name Title


Katrina Nash Head of Maths

an example of how this task can be extended to ensure all students are challenged whilst also enjoying themselves in our classes. We look forward to welcoming you officially in September.

With the fresh start in September in mind, we would like to remind all students and parents of the equipment requirements for maths. Along with the whole school pen, pencil and ruler, all students must also have a rubber and scientific calculator at all times. A compass and protractor are also required, but teachers will let students know when these are needed for lessons in advance. All equipment is available for sale from local vendors. Finally we would like to say a fond farewell to Mrs Schmaltz who has been in the Maths department with us for the last 3 years and taught many students at KS3. Miss has been with us whilst touring with her husband with the American Government and we have been absolutely privileged to have her bubbly, enthusiastic and caring self be a huge part of our team for this time. We do not as yet know where Mr and Mrs Schmaltz will be heading to next, but we look forward to hearing all about their next chapter and new adventures in different countries and school alike and wish them all the luck in the world with it all. Mr Burton is the newest member of the department to join us and is starting in our Maths team this July. We are extremely excited to welcome him into our enthusiastic Maths department.

Chrissy Ware Teacher of Art

Sixth Form Business Studies trip to Alton Towers

On Tuesday 4th April, Mr Burke and I took a selection of Year 12 and 13 students to Alton Towers as part of their Business Studies qualification. The students attended a lecture covering the history and development of Alton Towers Resort and how the brand has evolved.

The students learnt about brand positioning, marketing campaigns, utilising profits, organizational structure and Alton Towers’ business vision and mission.

Following the morning's presentation, the students, Mr. Burke and I were able to enjoy an almost empty theme park to release their inner thrill-seeker!

A great day was had by all, evidenced by lots of sleepy students on the journey home.

Jordanna Riches

Head of History

History students poetry competition

In the February 2017 edition of the school newsletter the History Department wrote about a number of Year 9 and Year 11 History students who had written poems on the theme of the First World War and entered them into a national poetry competition run by the ‘Never Such Innocence’ charity and promoted by the Historical Association. A number of our students received Certificates of Commendations for their ‘excellent submissions’, and the school was commended for the high number of ‘moving and powerful poems entered’, and congratulations should go to the following: Lisa Hartley, Saskia Twynham, Cheyanne Griffiths (all Year 11); Amy Long, Lucy Fitchett, Max Challener, Sachin Sunar, Freya Freeman, Amisha Gurung, Alisha Gurung, Alex Macpherson, Emily Fitchett, Beatrice Robertson, Miranda Hitchens, Mia White, Ethan Wickens, Sammy Nappin, Daisy Truby, Jessica Parker, William Ashton, Jake Ayling, James Barker, Jade Bennett, Niamh Catling, Jamie Diamond, Freya Hardcastle, Daisy Holloway, Logan Scarrott, Amie Shaer, Phillippa Todd, Rebekah Tyler, Jake Wales and Cailey Draper (all Year 9). The History teaching team are, understandably, very proud of the students who participated in this project which saw over 1200 poems being entered from 157 schools from a number of countries, including Canada, Malaysia, New Zealand and the UK.

“Those who accuse today’s young people of being self-centred, disengaged and concerned only with their own image, should read the poems submitted to the Never Such Innocence 2017 Poetry Competition. Entering into the horrors of the trenches, the psychological agony of those who waited at home and cognisant of the wounds the war also inflicted on the natural world, the youngsters demonstrated understanding, empathy and emotional intelligence well beyond their tender years.” - Dr Viv Newman, Author and Historian, Poetry Judge.

Paul Marshall Head of Modern Foreign

Languages


Day 1 At the beginning of July, the French trip to the Loire Valley finally began, with a very early start. It felt worth it though, as we made our way through the beautiful summer countryside in France to Jaunay-Clan, near Poitiers, arriving at the hotel just in time for dinner. “I enjoyed spending time with my friends and exploring new places. I loved every moment of it and my favourite moment was Futuroscope as I went on lots of rides and overcame my fear of rides. I now love theme parks. I also loved trying new food.” – Megan Robins-Bourton, Year 10 Day 2 The next morning we finished our croissants and headed off to the Grand Aquarium de Touraine, the largest freshwater aquarium in Europe. Their speciality is fish from the Loire – the longest entirely French river. Perhaps the most impressive were the catfish, which can grow to be more than 2.5m long! “My favourite part of the trip was when the gigantic eel swam towards me at the aquarium, and going on the highest ride, and trying to use French” – Maddie Cox, Year 10

After stroking (it was encouraged!), then feeding some of the fish, we were back on the coach with a packed lunch, headed for the beautiful town of Amboise. Our first stop was the Bigot chocolate factory. It is a small artisanal chocolatier in a picturesque building, in the heart of the city. We had a talk in French (interpreted by Mrs Gregory and the Year 10 students) about the making of chocolate from its raw ingredients. We then had a tasting that ranged from the raw cocoa, to dark chocolate, to milk and white chocolate, and finishing with the house speciality. As if we had not had enough to eat, we were then treated to drinks and sweet buns and there was time to wander the streets and do some shopping. Some

Name Title


Paul Marshall Head of Modern Foreign

Languages

of us made it all the way up the hill to see the Clos Lucé chateau, where Leonardo da Vinci lived out his days. “My favourite part of this trip was going off to the little towns and villages, independently, especially in Amboise.” – Kitty Holt, Year 10 The last stop of the day was Loches. This is another very beautiful mediaeval town, on the banks of the river Indres, which students explored in small groups. After that, we headed back to the hotel for dinner. “My favourite thing was looking around Futuroscope and the little villages” – Amber P., Year 8 Day 3

This was the day we spent in the Parc du Futuroscope, which is a little hard to describe. The ‘rides’ are often technologically advanced, creating high resolution 3D and 4D experiences that take you around the world, and on magical journeys, such as were imagined by the French writer Jules Verne, for example. The day ended with a spectacular light and water show once the sun had set, performed by the world famous French-Canadian Cirque du Soleil. “I liked the way the teachers let us all go and do what we wanted in the theme park” – Ausie, Year 8 “I mostly enjoyed the light show because it was a beautiful story and it also looked amazing” – Millie Smith, Year 8

Day 4 We returned tired, but safe and sound, to TBS late at night. We had all discovered something new, everybody had taken the opportunity to practice and try out their French, and some students had even made new French friends. “I enjoyed spending time with the people we came with and making new friends at the park” – Charlotte, Year 8

Lynley Kennett Head of

Creative Arts and Design Technology

Royal Academy summer exhibition

On Monday 11 July, a group of year 11 and 12 students visited The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in London. Students experienced the varying delights of the exhibition including Bob and Roberta Smith, Tom Phillips and Michael Craig - Martin - artists who have studied at the school. The visit to the exhibition will be used as a starting point for their own creative investigations in their A-Level studies. It was a great opportunity for students to engage with many British living artists who have turned art into successful careers.



Royal Philharmonic Orchestra music gala

The Bicester School and Bartholomew School's Creative Arts Departments joined forces in May and took a group of students to the Albert Hall in London to watch the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra perform a gala of music from iconic movies over the years. It was a moving performance and it was so inspirational to see such a talented group of musicians put on a rousing concert spectacular of timeless film scores and Hollywood blockbusters.

"On Saturday 6 May I had the opportunity to go to the Royal Albert Hall to see the film Music Gala performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. They played a variety of wonderful pieces of music from well-known films such as Star Wars and Jurassic Park. A personal favourite of mine was the theme from Titanic my heart will go on by Celine Dion. I am so glad I got the opportunity to attend the event and would definitely recommend.” Megan Smith, Year 11



Primary school music workshop

On Monday 11 July, we welcomed pupils from St Edburg’s, Brookside and Southwold Primary schools for our orchestral music workshop. We had a really great afternoon with some fantastic Year Fives and Sixes. Together we performed Grieg's "In The Hall of The Mountain King" and put on a short performance for parents after school. Some of our own pupils took part and did themselves and the school proud with both their performance and their willingness to support the young people around them. These pupils were Josh Thomas, Thomas Kingsley, Hannah Savin, Lewis Walduck and Lauren Gough.

Roland Howard Deputy

Headteacher

Staff profile

Why am I a teacher?

I really love English literature and to work with something I’m interested in is great. Also, teenagers are not quite as bad as their reputation; they are open-minded, feisty and interesting as they grow into their adult selves. Teenagers are fun! I’ve worked in several schools and think that kids all over the country, world even, are basically the same. For instance, I worked with child soldiers and victims of the civil war in Sierra Leone a few years ago, and despite their terrible stories, most of them were interested, cheeky and funny. It is those sort of experiences that make me impatient when students complain. We should be grateful for our education in the UK. I think that a school ethos affects students and I firmly believe (having fathered four boys) that firm boundaries are vital for us to grow as people. Without those boundaries, we can’t learn how to delay gratification or how to rise above our ego. For several years I worked part-time as a teacher whilst writing for newspapers. Although it doesn’t reflect my politics, I wrote mostly for the Sunday Telegraph and Daily Express. It taught me how biased newspapers were, based on the stories they selected to use and how this would affect their readers. I remember offering great stories about heroic refugees working with our homeless people but the editors weren’t interested in representing refugees positively. During this period I was asked to write several books which was great fun. They didn’t, sadly, turn me into a tycoon but they glow with utter brilliance as they sit on my bookshelves. In my spare time, I love travelling to unusual places and cultures: Morocco, Kazakhstan, Egypt, Armenia, Sierra Leone, Guatemala, Kyrgyzstan. It is refreshing and interesting to see that people in other parts of the world live in completely different ways. My reality is just one small window on the world. It is great to attempt different languages too. Apart from travelling, I love running and cycling. It’s a “joy” to cycle into work each day. Obviously, I love reading and having four son’s keeps me interested in contemporary music: I also have an abiding love of pepper plants and vegetable gardening. My sons frequently tease me when I say, “My parsnips are shooting up, the broad beans have got blackfly but those chilli peppers are looking blisteringly hot!”

Michael Hume Head of KS3

Tennis success in the community

On Monday 24 April, the Ken Ferriman Cup event took place and Joel Malango was a close runner up to former student Ben Jerman. Callum West and Jake Ayling also played and won matches.

Jake and Callum have just been selected for the men's box league and have started competing.

Finally the Aegon League Series began on 29 April with all three boys hoping to place in the top 3.

Marzena Henry

Teacher of Modern Foreign

Languages

A brief insight to the EAL club

Our EAL club meets every Wednesday lunch time and is open to every student for whom English is a second language, but their English friends are also welcome. During our meetings, we talk about our countries of origin, share our experiences of different cultures and traditions, celebrate various special occasions with lots of delicious food from around the world and learn about British traditions and culture. We also play games (which helps our students to enhance their English), prepare and watch PowerPoint presentations about some very special places in the world. This academic year we had a chance to have a virtual tour of Portugal, Macau, Latvia and Romania (including the Count Dracula’s castle!). Thanks to our talented Karry Xu (Y7) we were able to have a go at origami art, I think we need lots more practise and patience to be able to produce some of the beautiful origami she can make! We also had some foreign language lessons in which we tried to master the basics of: Mandarin, Latvian, Russian, Romanian, Portuguese and Polish. What a challenge that was! Here is Sofia Trabuco’s (Y8) reflection about the club: “We talk about our own countries to others and learn from them. We learn about the different traditions, languages and locations of different landmarks.” This year the club was supported by two interns and it was lovely to see their engagement and share their enthusiasm about our school’s multicultural community. We hope to see lots more students joining our club next September!

Bye 再见 Tchau Ardievas Zbogum Do widzenia

La revedere ลาก่อน Viszontlátásra اعادو Zbohom अल�वदा Αντιο σας До свидания

Year 10 students attend a ‘Pathways to Law’ event

On Friday 5 May, we attended a 'Pathways to Law' programme to which we had applied for with the help of Miss Powell. It was held at Oxford University and lasted two days.

A robbery was staged right in front of us in the foyer, and this was the case we focused on. We learnt about the laws surrounding theft and robbery so we could distinguish between the two. It was so surprising how much depth these laws went into!

The following day, we learnt about how a real trial would take place, and specifically the importance of live evidence. All participants were then divided into two teams: the prosecution and the defence. We spent the day working on our cases, reading to present in a mock trial.

The mock trial lasted an hour, in which both teams gave all they had to prove the defendant guilty/not guilty. Jury member, played by us and six others, the decided the fate of the defendant.

We really enjoyed our time at the event! It was great to learn so many new things, and we will always remember working with such amazing people from all over the country.

We have been invited back next year, and are intrigued learn more and more about the law industry!

https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/admissions/pathways-law

Written by Charley Lewis and Emily Wright (Year 10)

https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/admissions/pathways-law

Hanover Gardens

On Saturday 17 June, I helped out at Hanover Gardens Residential Home in Bicester to support the opening of their new Sensory Garden, which had been funded by local businesses. It was extremely hot but I had the opportunity to speak to the residents and they were very welcoming towards me. I started off by helping to erect the gazebos followed by arranging the seating and finally by decorating the tables. After this, I had the chance to properly talk to the residents about their past experiences, including their education. When the guests started to arrive, we made our way outside to watch the entertainment which was amazing. I was also privileged to meet the Mayor of Bicester. I also got to meet three very special girls who made the garden possible. They were the winners of the Garden Design competition and they had the honour of opening the new garden alongside the Mayor. To summarise I had a truly fantastic time at Hanover Gardens where the residents are wonderful and I sincerely hope I am given the opportunity to go and help out again. Written by Callum Hills, Year 12


No one understands the importance of a millisecond like swimmers do. In swimming, it is not always about winning the race but in beating yourself. Beating your PB is the just the best feeling – gaining a medal when you do so is just a bonus. We all swim for Bicester Blue Fins our local swim club based at the leisure centre, opposite TBS. The life of a swimmer is all about balance – between the many hours of training (some of us train for 16 hours every week plus land training), school work etc. and still finding time to see friends and go out.

Four days a week my day begins at 4.45am so that I can be up and at the pool for 5.20am – I get a lie in on Saturday until 5.45am as training begins at 6.15am. We swim until 7am or 7.30am so that we have time to get sorted and ready for school. I also swim every weekday evening except Thursday – but we do double on Mondays to make up for that with an additional hour in the spin studio. Training is always hard – even when our Coach says he is being easy on us. Warm up is often up to 42 lengths. Following that, we may do an individual medley set. IM sets are the toughest – 6 x 50m butterfly, 6 x 100m (50m ‘fly and 50m back), 6 x 150m (50m ‘fly, 50m back, 50m breast) and then 6 x 200m IM (all four strokes) unless our Coach loses count and makes us do more (he never seems to undercount though). It is never just a chilled swim either, Coach sets us targets throughout the session, generally around swimming faster or maintaining times (so we swim as fast after 20 lengths as we do after 2). Just when we thought we were safe, someone had the ingenious idea of underwater headsets so Coaches could talk to swimmers during lengths (we quickly learnt not to try to answer him – think about it!). And if we think of slacking there is a device which attaches to our goggles that “beeps” so we can maintain stroke rate. Our friends (and our mums) think that we are always eating, which we probably are, but most of those calories we burn off before you have even considered waking up. Our coach gives us daily targets sometimes to encourage us to eat healthily and frequently reminds us to stay hydrated (when your coach emails you all a wee chart so that you can check out hydration levels you know he’s serious). When we compete, we are in heats with people who have similar PBs so we could be swimming against people a few years older or younger therefore until all heats have been swam we do not know where we will be placed. But generally, it is all about the PB and achieving goals – achieving a target we have been striving for, is


just the best feeling (remember those milliseconds) and we cannot help grinning all the way back to our Coach to get the low down on how he thinks we swam.

We have all completed both individually and in team galas for BBF– swimming at county meets, diddy leagues, arena leagues etc. We might travel for an hour, warm up for 15mins, race for 30s and sit around for another two hours before we race again– a good time for socialising and eating. Our individual squads consist of swimmers of different ages and from different schools – we probably would not befriend or even chat to students three years above us at school but our friends at BBF are from all year groups. We look out for each other at training and at galas and enjoy the social side of swimming poolside. So, when we turn down the offer of a run (have you ever seen an aquatic mammal on land by the way? That is us!) or a night out it is not because we do not want to it is because we have to be at the pool tomorrow and to succeed we need to train hard. Written by Caitlin Laverick – Year 8

The Bicester School Home School Agreement

Our vision for the school is centered on our strong commitment to aspiration and achievement. We want all of our students to have ambitious and positive goals for their future and to work hard to achieve the best possible exam results which will then provide them with the platform to fulfil their aspirations. Our vision is built on our 4 core values of respect, responsibility, resilience and gratitude.

• Respect - for self, for peers, for adults, the school rules, the local community and the school environment.

• Responsibility - for our behaviour and our learning. Ultimately this means exercising self-control, not making excuses and even at times standing out from the crowd when others around you are reluctant to show responsibility.

• Resilience - in rising to the challenge, overcoming adversity and difficulty; being patient and able to go the extra mile with those you sometimes disagree with, thus demonstrating character, leadership and the ability to be a role model.

• Gratitude – for the opportunity to learn in an orderly environment and an appreciation for others who go the extra mile.

As a school, we aim to provide: • A highly ordered, inclusive, safe and disciplined learning environment where all

pupils are challenged to aspire and achieve and supported to behave with Respect, Resilience, Responsibility and Gratitude.

• A highly academic and aspirational environment where pupils are supported and challenged to learn and achieve.

• An honest, fair, open environment which seeks to communicate effectively and quickly with parents and carers.

• Support for all pupils when concerns are raised by parents about welfare, bullying etc. ensuring such concerns are acknowledged within 24 hours and a resolution is sought as soon as is possible.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As a student, I will:

1) Wear the school uniform and take pride in my appearance, following the rules on hair, piercings, and jewellery

2) Make every effort to attend every day, be punctual to school, arrive at lessons on time, with the correct books, dictionary and equipment including scientific calculator, all enclosed in a suitable school bag.

3) Work hard in all lessons, ask when I don’t understand, follow my teachers’ instructions and obey all the school’s rules.

4) Treat others (and the environment) with politeness and respect. 5) Outside of school, not bring the school into disrepute in the community,

including via Social Media; I will complete all homework as required and revise effectively for all summative tests so that my teachers have a good understanding of the progress I am making and can help me if I get behind.

Signed………………………………………………………………………(Name of Student) As a parent, by accepting a place at The Bicester School for my child, I agree to support the school, its rules and its systems. In particular, this will include:

1) Support for the school’s attendance, uniform and appearance policy 2) Support for the school in checking that homework has been completed and

checking of ePraise to ensure my child is achieving sufficient house points and upholding the school rules, both general and classroom.

3) Acknowledge that if a mobile phone is used by my child whilst in school, it will be confiscated and returned to the parent via the school reception.

4) Informing the school of any welfare, medical issues/concerns that may affect my child’s learning or behaviour so that the school can offer its full support.

5) Support the school in the wider community, showing fairness to the school at all times including on Social Media.

Signed …………………………………………………………………(Parent/Carer) Dated…………………………………………………………………….

General school rules

1. All students will adhere to the uniform and appearance guidelines*. Students are not permitted to chew gum or bring in sugary drinks or energy drinks into school.

2. If mobile phones are brought in to school they are not to be used and must be kept out of sight or they will be confiscated. Mobile phones can be left in the pastoral office at the start of the day. MP3s, personal stereos etc are not permitted in school and it is never acceptable in a classroom for a student to be listening to music etc via headphones.

3. Students must be on time to school. Students who arrive after 8.30am will be late and be in a short lunch time detention. Those who truant from a lesson will be dealt with by the pastoral team or Head of Year. They will need to make up the time that has been lost. This will usually mean an after-school detention?

4. Good conduct around the school is very important. Students must not run or shout in buildings, keep to the left and arrive promptly to class. There are usually staff or 6th form prefects patrolling the buildings before lessons and they will issue students with a ‘C’ for infringements. At social times, students must keep to their designated areas, not use bad language or drop litter, and of course never deliberately cause damage to school property.

5. We operate a hands-off rule in the school. This is to avoid playful scuffles escalating to fights. Students who engage in violence towards others during the school day or outside of school will be in danger of losing their place at the school. We do not tolerate students fighting or any form of physical assaults. In virtually every case where a student strikes another, an exclusion will follow. In more serious cases, the exclusion will become permanent. We require as well that students respect staff and other young students and do not engage in kissing/cuddling a boyfriend/girlfriend.

6. Students must adhere to the rules that relate to school assemblies – This includes arriving in the designated area at 8.35am, lining up alphabetically in form groups, and entering and exiting the assembly hall in silence. In addition, years 7 & 8 must have the correct equipment for the “right start” procedure at the start of assembly.

7. Students must not bring any weapons or contraband onto site. This will result in exclusion and could result in permanent exclusion. Contraband includes tobacco, drugs, alcohol and e-cigarettes. Weapons include knives, guns, BB guns etc.

8. Students must not bring the school into disrepute outside of school hours or on educational trips/visits. This includes assaults, thefts, vandalism to the neighbourhood etc. which would cause reputational damage to the school.

9. Outside of school hours, students must use social media in a responsible way. They are forbidden from using social media in a malicious or damaging way, as this can be considered a criminal offence and will be taken very seriously by the school.

10. All forms of persecution whether in school or outside of school which impact our student community and can be interpreted as bullying, cruelty or even hatred are deemed as serious and could result in the loss of a student’s place at the school.

Classroom rules

1. All students must arrive promptly to lesson and then follow the start-of-lesson routine

2. Students must bring the correct equipment to lessons in a suitable school bag. This includes essential equipment, plus personal dictionary, an approved reading book and a scientific calculator, with PE kit on PE days. Students can bring in water bottles but ‘fads’ such as fidget spinners are banned. MP3s, personal stereos etc. are not to be used in classes, without exception. (Replacement pens etc. can be bought from the school.)

3. Students are permitted to remove their blazers in class following the teacher’s greeting to the class but must not do so until after the start of lesson routine. They do not have to ask permission to remove their blazers.

4. Students must not deface or graffiti on their school exercise books or class textbooks. If they do so, they will have to replace them at their own expense. (Bear in mind, textbooks can often cost £15-20 each.)

5. All students will sit according to the class seating plan, without argument, fuss or debate. The teacher decides the seating plan.

6. High levels of disruptions are considered serious and will not be tolerated. These are termed as C4 incidents and followed up by senior staff. These include defiance, disrespect, bad language, winding up other students, answering back etc.

7. Low levels of disruption are not acceptable. These include chatter, fidgeting and talking during SLANT (Sit up, listen and no talking). They are followed up by the class teacher but can be escalated to the tutor, Head of Department and Head of Year.

8. All homework must be completed and submitted on time. No sub-standard work will be accepted when it is clearly below the ability of the student.

9. Students are not permitted to use mobile phones in school. These must be kept out of sight in lessons. If seen they will be confiscated and returned at the end of the day via reception. If confiscated a second time, phones will only be returned to a parent or guardian.

10. Students must show respect for the school’s consequences system and follow the consequences given by teachers. Students must not answer teachers back when the staff member is applying the consequences system; failure to follow this will see any consequences escalated to the next level.

*The Bicester School Uniform and Appearance Expectations

Hair Hair must be one natural colour and not extreme. There should not be two distinct colours on a child’s head. We do not recommend using hair dye on children’s hair (Bleach or other dangerous chemicals should never be applied.) but certainly no un-natural colours would be permitted. Boys should be clean shaven. The Headteacher reserves the right to make the final decision on what is an acceptable haircut but hairstyles should be sensible. This means no ‘pattern cuts’, shaved or hair coloured in unnatural colours such as pink, green, blue, raven-black, bleached-blonde etc. Nor are other inappropriate styles allowed. Any hair clips, etc. should be simple and plainly coloured.

Jewellery and Make-up Only one set of stud earrings and a watch is permitted to be worn. Facial piercings, including nose studs, lip piercings and eyebrow piercings are not permitted. No make-up is allowed at Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9) and only a modest amount at Key Stages 4 and 5 (Years 10-13). At Key Stage 3, students will be instructed to wash or wipe off obvious make-up such as eye make-up, blusher and coloured lipstick. Each classroom and staff base has packs of wipes to assist with this. Nail varnish and fake nails are not allowed in any year groups. At Key Stages 4 and 5, make up must be light, in neutral colours and not extreme. The Headteacher reserves the right to determine what is deemed as extreme.

ITEM

BOYS

GIRLS

Badged blazer BLACK

Compulsory for Year 7-9 (compulsory for Years 10 from Sept ’18 + Year 11 from Sept 19.)

Badged jumper NAVY BLUE

Compulsory for all students. (Free School Meals students will have one badged jumper purchased for them by the school).

Clip-on tie BURGUNDY

Compulsory for all boys.

Optional for all girls.

Formal shirt / revere blouse WHITE

Compulsory formal white shirt.

Compulsory formal white shirt with tie OR, Compulsory formal revere blouse without tie.

Formal trousers / formal knee length skirt BLACK

Compulsory formal black school or office-ready trousers.

Compulsory formal black school or office-ready trousers OR, Compulsory formal black knee length skirt. (Close to knee as is possible)

Casual trousers, such as jeans, leggings, cords are not acceptable.

Formal shoes BLACK

Formal black shoes.

Plain outdoor coats will be allowed, but no hoodies, denim or leather jackets or non-school jumpers are to be worn over uniform.

Rewards (Merits)

House points Bronze Award = 1000, Silver = 1250, Gold = 1750, Platinum= 2000+ The Award certificates can be used by the student in applications to universities and by teachers in support of references for future employers, universities etc. in recognition of exemplary and sustained good conduct over a lengthy period of time.

Rewards system – Merits

HoY = Head of Year SLT = Senior leadership team HoD = Head of Department

Merit Value of merit

Awarded by Mile stone Potential reward

Following daily expectations for behaviour, uniform and appearance

6 each day Tutor, SLT Should be daily Towards certification

Good or exemplary work in class or at home

1-3 teacher Potentially each lesson

Towards certification

High level of responsibility shown

25 HoY, SLT Half termly Citizenship certificate

Excellent progress or attainment shown in subject

25 HoD Half termly Prize draw, subject certificate

Good or excellent progress or attainment in CAP reports

100-200 SLT 3 times per year Prize draw

100% attendance in a full term

100 HoY 3 times per year Prize draw; certificate

100% attendance for full year

300 HoY 1 per year Certificate

Bronze emerging ePraise 175 average each half term

Silver emerging ePraise 250 average each half term

Prize draw, privileges

Gold emerging ePraise 300 average each half term

Prize, privileges

Bronze HoY, SLT 1000 points Certificate Silver Hoy, SLT 1250 points Certificate, prize

draw Gold HoY, SLT 1750 points Prize Platinum HoY, SLT 2000+ points Prize Privilege (silver emerging)

Privilege badge (silver)

From October half term onwards (merits must be sustained)

Special rewards, privileges

Privilege (gold emerging)

Privilege badge (gold)

Special rewards and privileges

Demerits (points can be lost as well)

C1 = 1 point lost

C2 = 2 points lost

C3 = 3 points lost C4 etc = 10 points lost

If C is issued, student will lose today’s daily expectations’ points

Tony Rushworth - The Bicester School

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