House Competitions

These have been running all year and students are taking part in the events that match their skill set.  The competition is very close with all four houses collecting similar amounts of points.  At the time of writing the House Bench competition has been judged with Kingsley winning with a catching leopard spot design.  

Students have got involved from the building of the flat-packed benches against the clock, creating a unique design to represent their house and finally the execution of the design in tough gloss paints.  All four of them are now installed around the school site for students to use.  Well done to all involved and watch out for an article in next week's Gazette!

Opera in a Day 2014

On Wednesday 19^th November the great tradition of Marlwood students working together with those from New Siblands School continued.  With advice and guidance from the English Touring Opera Company, the students worked hard all day before presenting their piece to an audience in the early part of the evening.  The contribution made by our year 10 students was fantastic and everyone present had nothing but praise for all involved.

Rotary Chef Competition 2014

After school on Tuesday 18^th November six KS4 students entered the Design Technology Kitchens to prepare their two course menus for the assembled judging panel.  The competition was fierce and all present commented on the quality of the food served.  Congratulations to all of the competitors.  Each one benefited from professional advice and the pressure of the competition. 

Governors Day

On Wednesday 26^th November a groups of Governors joined us in school.  They were here to look at the work of the school, specifically in regard to the House System and the quality of work in Students Books.  They attended a House Assembly – with a presentation on the important work of Young Carers in our society.  They were impressed by the quality of the messages and the very respectful behaviour of our students.  They also went to a house tutor session and watched as different age students worked together to answer questions and solve problems.  They liked the way the students interacted and the way the activity prepared students for the day ahead.  The Governors then went on to a training session on how student exercise books can be used to find out how much progress is being made by students.  They found this task very revealing as they looked at the books of 29 students in year 8.  In the best examples students clearly showed progress as they corrected work in response to feedback from their teachers.

We finished the day with a full Governing Body meeting where we discussed the progress made by the school in its improvement planning.

The catering for the whole day was provided by KS4 students as part of their coursework requirement.  They provided a lovely lunch and an afternoon tea that was enjoyed by a large number of staff and governors.  Well done to them all.

Feedback and Communication

Many thanks for the numerous positive comments about the new school website.  As we strive to achieve excellence in our communications with our community we are delighted that you are finding the website so useful.  We are continuing to work on this to provide a range of functions so if some links are not ‘live’ please be patient.

As I create more blog posts and  I become familiar with the technology the updates will appear on a more regular basis.  In order for you to be informed straight away of any new content on the website, in this blog or for more general news about the school please follow us on Twitter -@marlwoodschool.  If you do not currently have a twitter account I would encourage you to set one up, this can be done quickly at www.twitter.com.  The key advantage to using twitter is that it enables you to receive information from the school (and other places) direct to your computer or mobile device through the twitter website or ‘APP’.  We are planning on a number of accounts within the Marlwood School brand that you can follow to receive information from across the school.

This term continues at quite a pace.  Students and staff continue to work hard together to achieve excellence in learning and student outcomes.  Year 11 and 13 are focused on their forthcoming exams.  They are reminded often that they are not very far away.  Year 11 students are receiving their mock exam results and a whole range of support and interventions are being put in place to ensure they achieve the best results they can.  A large number of students are contributing to our community on a daily basis, a big thank you to them all and to the staff who are supporting them.  Some highlights are identified below.  Please check the calendar carefully for all upcoming events. 

Marlwood Remembers

11^th November – Armistice Day. At the 11^th hour of the 11^th day Marlwood School remembered them. At 10.55am all staff shared with students the memory of remembrance and the importance of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. At 11.00am Peter Stace stood in the School Quad and played the Last Post. There followed a beautifully observed 2 minutes silence as the school community reflected and remembered.  Peter then signalled the end of the Silence with 'The Reveille'.

Year 12/13 Parents Evening

       The Year 12/13 parent evening on 6^th November  was a chance for parents and students in the Sixth Form to meet subject staff for advice and guidance on making the most of their sixth form experience.  If you missed this then please do not hesitate to contact the Sixth Form team or subject staff directly.

Maths Challenge

       Senior Maths Challenge 6^th November - saw a number of our students compete in this national competition run by UKMT.  Maths is a real strength at Marlwood School and we expect great things from ALL of our students in this critical curriculum area.

Children in Need

      Children in Need . Students came into school in clothes in the colour of their house.  A £1 charge was made for this privilege and contributed to the fund raising activities throughout the day, including a staff ‘bake off’ to discover Marlwood’s baking talent.

Sixth Form Open Evening

      Sixth Form Open Evening last week was a chance for all Year 11 students to see what is on offer in the Sixth Form at Marlwood School.  A reminder that ALL students are expected to stay on in some form of education until they are 18.  We certainly expect it to be their aspiration that this will be to study with us and to join in the success that our students have in securing pathways into higher education.

Year 11 Examinations

      Year 11 Mock/practice examinations.  Students have been well prepared for these exams through skills sessions to improve study and revision technique .  This has been in addition to the specific subject preparation that each student will be receiving in each lesson.  The outcomes of these exams will be important for ALL students as this data will help to determine the next steps that they take in their education. 

A new channel of communication

In our drive to achieve ‘excellence’ in our communications with you we are in the process of developing and improving our website www.marlwood.com and social media presence.  This blog, which is the first of a regular update from myself and the school, will coincide with the launch of the new school website.  In order for you to receive update communications with as little effort as possible, I would urge you to follow us on twitter @marlwoodschool.  If you do not currently have a twitter account I would encourage you to set one up, this can be done quickly at www.twitter.com.  The key advantage to using twitter is that it enables you to receive information from the school (and other places) direct to your computer or mobile device through the twitter website or ‘APP’.  We are planning on a number of accounts within the Marlwood School brand that you can follow to receive information from across the school.

James Pope
Headteacher, Marlwood School