CHRISTMAS
LUNCH
CELEBRATION
OF SUCCESS
On
Thursday 30th November we held our annual Celebration of Success evening. This is a chance for us to celebrate the
success of our students in academic year 2016 – 2017. We were joined in the Sports Hall by
students, past and present, parents/carers and other family members where it
gave me great pleasure to hand out over 230 awards to students.
WHOLE
SCHOOL ASSEMBLY
On
Thursday 30th November I held a whole school assembly which gave me a chance to
talk to all students about respect and the community. It was also a chance to thank the vast
majority of our students who contribute positively daily to the Marlwood community.
Well done
to the vast majority!
THE WINTER WARMER HOUSE CHALLENGE
The PEPA
House Competition is being run by the Year 9/10 GCSE class.
They are
collecting items for the Julian Shelter in Bristol who look after hundreds of
homeless people over the winter. Points for Houses will be awarded per item. If
you attach your name there will be a prize for most items bought in by an
individual student!
There will
be a box in your House office to put items in over the coming week. Please look
at home and ask family and friends for:
• Hats/gloves/scarves
• Trainers
• Coats
• Jumpers
• Sleeping bags/blankets
• New socks
• All to fit teens up to adults
Thank you
for your help!
FRIENDS OF MARLWOOD SCHOOL
Are you a parent,
carer or grandparent of a child at Marlwood? Would you like to get involved and support the
school?
We are a small group of parents setting up a Friends of Marlwood School PTA. Our aim is to support the school through building a community of parents keen to spread the word about Marlwood as well as fundraising for specific projects.
We are a small group of parents setting up a Friends of Marlwood School PTA. Our aim is to support the school through building a community of parents keen to spread the word about Marlwood as well as fundraising for specific projects.
Our inaugural project
is to raise money for a 3D printer. Our
aim is to raise £5,000 to purchase and run a 3D printer for the DART
(Design, Art & Technology) Faculty to support development of a creative
curriculum and fantastic opportunities for the pupils.
WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
- Join the committee
- Become a Friend of Marlwood School and help out when you can
- Help with fundraising for the 3D Printer
- Offer corporate support – do you know a company who could sponsor the 3D printer project in any way?
- Follow us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/friendsofmarlwoodschool)
The next meeting is at Marlwood on Monday 4 December at 5pm, please come
along and find out more.
PLEASE JOIN US AND OFFER WHATEVER TIME AND HELP YOU CAN GIVE!
COUNTY CROSS
COUNTRY
Marlwood students are today competing in the South Gloucestershire Cross
Country Races at Blaise Castle organised for all schools by our own Mr
Richards!
Race details for Marlwood are: -
Year 7 boys - 2nd place
Year 8/9 boys 3rd place
Students in Year 7 achieved 5th, 7th, 8th and 10th places
Students in Year 9 achieved 1st, 2nd and 4th places
Students in Year 11 achieved 12th place place
Fantastic results - Well Done!
Year 7 boys - 2nd place
Year 8/9 boys 3rd place
Students in Year 7 achieved 5th, 7th, 8th and 10th places
Students in Year 9 achieved 1st, 2nd and 4th places
Students in Year 11 achieved 12th place place
Fantastic results - Well Done!
Cross Country Update from Mr Richards ………………
Well done to all the students that attended the South Gloucestershire Cross
Country Event 2017 at Blaise Castle. In recent years the weather had been awful
but this year, we couldn’t have asked for better. Marlwood School students
showed the perseverance and resilience needed as there were some tough
competitors in the races but all did a fantastic job.
Races were held in boys and girls
events for Minors (Year 7), Juniors (Year 8 and 9), Inter (Year 10 and 11) and
Seniors (Year 12 and 13). These went really efficiently and we actually
finished ahead of schedule! We are just waiting on the final results. After the
races were completed many of the competitors showed Marlwood’s ethos of “working together for excellence” and all pitched in
to take down the course.
A massive thank you to Mrs Ferguson
and Mr Humphries for becoming team managers at such short notice.
A final thank you to all the marshal’s,
school staff and to Westbury Harriers running club for all your support in
making this event run so smoothly.
Well done to all students and staff for supporting this event!
Well Done to all students who took part and to Mr Williams for organising!
This week
the House Competition is being run by the Humanities faculty. They have displayed 15 pictures around the
faculty area of landmarks which students need to name and also name the
town/country they can be found. Entry sheets
are available from the faculty and entries need to be back with Mr Helliker by
Friday. House Points and prizes are up
for grabs!
HOUSE
COMPETITION (Friday 3rd November)
Last
Friday the House Competition was run by Kingsley House. The competition was ‘Shoot the Hoop’ with
students and staff both playing fiercely to try and gain the House points by
getting as many balls through the basketball hoop in 1 minute. The highest student score was Oliver
Sheffield from Berkeley House who managed 13.
Staff also competed with Mr Haigh and Mr Williams both scoring 11.
Berkeley
won the competition with Kingsley as runners up.
WELL
DONE!
Well
Done to Lucie Clark in Year 7 who on 24th October, shaved her head for
charity. She has 'Braved the Shave' for Macmillan Cancer Support and the hair
that she lost, has been donated to the Princess Charity Trust, a charity
who use the donated hair to make wigs for children who have lost their own
hair, usually through their cancer treatments.
CATERING AT MARLWOOD SCHOOL
CSET
are currently undertaking a review of the quality of provision provided by
Aspens, our external catering contractors. As part of this, we would be very
keen to receive feedback from both parents/carers and students. So can I
encourage you and your sons/daughters to use either or both of the links below
to complete a survey, which should take no more than 5 mins to complete. Please
complete this as soon as possible
Parent
Survey
Student
Survey
PRE-PUBLIC
EXAMS
Year 11 and
students currently taking a 1 Year GCSE subject will be taking Pre-Public Exams
starting on Monday 20th November through to Friday 24th
November. Please encourage study at home,
links to aid revision are available on the school website and other materials
are available from teachers.
PARENT
CONSULTATION 1
Please be
reminded that Parent Consultation 1 will be taking place on Thursday, 9th
November. This is an opportunity for
students and parents to discuss progress and achievement with their tutor. School will close at 11.30 am on this day and
buses have been arranged accordingly.
ATTENDANCE
NEWS
Congratulations
to Year 7 girls – in the penultimate week of last term, every girl in Year 7
attended every session of every day – giving an attendance record of 100% for
the whole week. This is the first time
this has happened – a superb achievement!
Congratulations
to the 211 students across Years 7-11 who achieved 100% attendance in Term 1 –
an excellent achievement. This constitutes 43% of the school population!
GCSE RESULTS 2017
Students
at Marlwood School are celebrating the highest results in the school’s history.
We are
delighted with the individual performance of a large number of our
students.
With the
new grading systems in English and Maths it is difficult to make comparisons to
previous years, however it is pleasing to see that 74% of the cohort have
achieved a standard pass (grade 4+) in these two subjects. We have also seen students achieving grade 9s
which are the very highest level possible in these subjects. This is the best set of data we have seen at
the school and we are absolutely delighted both for the individual students and
staff. Outcomes for students are
improving and we are confident that they will continue to do so because of the
increasing focus staff and students have on high quality learning. We look forward to seeing the continuing
improvement in grades for further generations of students at Marlwood School.
These results
are a reflection of the hard work the students have devoted to their study and
the support and dedication of Marlwood School Staff. We would like to extend our congratulations
to them all and the families who have supported them.
Well Done!
A-LEVEL EXCELLENCE AT
CASTLE AND MARLWOOD SIXTH FORM
The
students in the joint Sixth Form at Castle and Marlwood schools have enjoyed
great success in their A-levels this summer. Almost 80% of the entries achieved
at least a C grade, and over 30% of the entries obtained an A or A* grade.
In total,
over 40 students obtained A grades in at least 2 of their 3 A-levels2 A grades.
Louise
Davies, Head of the joint Sixth Form said: -
“We are
delighted with these results and the fantastic achievements of all our
students. It’s not just about those with the very highest grades – we’re
equally delighted for all those who have worked so hard, and met their
individual targets at all levels of ability. As a result of this work, there
are over 130 young people from our joint Sixth Form now preparing to head off
to universities across the UK, and others heading into exciting apprenticeship
and training opportunities.
This was
the first year of revised national A-levels in some subjects, which were
undoubtedly harder and which caused much uncertainty for teachers and students
when we didn’t know what the new exams and standards would look like. It’s a
testimony to the hard work put in by everyone at Castle and Marlwood that the
results have been maintained at their consistently high levels even with these
changes.”
We would
like to thank all the teachers and parents for their support of these students.
We have all enjoyed working with them, and wish them well as they move on to
their exciting futures.
Well done
Peru 2017 –
Update from 28th July 2017
We have finished
our time in the Sacred Valley. We were rewarded with a meal at the Presidents
house. Stone cooked lamb and potatoes. Lovely!
Machu
Picchu was extraordinary. Got up at 4am to be there for sun rise. Amazing place
to go to. Unforgettable!
Chilling
back in Cusco before we depart for the Amazon via an overnight bus. We are all excited for the river boat tour.
Peru 2017 –
Update from 30th July 2017
In Madre
de Dios preparing for the trip to the jungle. Leave tomorrow morning. Another exciting stage of the journey coming
up.
HOUSE CHAMPIONS
The House Championship reached its
conclusion this week with the whole school attending a special assembly in the
Sports Hall on Thursday, 20th July.
A presentation showed highlights of
the multiple games and competitions which were held across the year, and each
House cheered as the winners of the individual competitions were recapped.
Finally, when all points from all
competitions and achievements had been reckoned up it was time to reveal the
winners.
4th place went to Witton, 3rd to
Berkeley (last year's winners) and 2nd to Holt which means the winners of the
House Championship 2016-17 are KINGSLEY.
Well done to all members of Kingsley
House.
All students and tutors
in Kingsley House - accompanied by all students with 100% attendance and
the top ten students with the highest Praise points - made their way in convoy
to Air Hop at Cribbs Causeway before returning to Marlwood for an ice cream, in
time for the buses home.
The House Championship trophy
accompanied the students for the afternoon and the photo shows House Progress
Leader of Kingsley, Miss Bullock, proudly displaying it, with its yellow
ribbons, on their return.
The House Championship Assembly is
always a special day in the calendar and the atmosphere as the results were
made known was spirited and good natured - indeed electric!
Roll of Honour
2016-17: Kingsley
2015-16: Berkeley
2014-15: Kingsley
STAYING SAFE DURING THE SUMMER
HOLIDAYS
South
Gloucestershire Safeguarding Board have made available to us information with
regard to keeping children safe during the summer holidays. It details an awareness campaign for schools
with secondary age children, and for their parents/carers, ahead of the summer
holiday. The last page gives advice for
parents/carers on possible signs of CSE (Child Sexual Exploitation).
This information
is being shared by House Progress Leaders in end of term assemblies this week
via a more student-friendly Powerpoint.
We hope
you find this guidance helpful and that it contributes to all members of our
school community staying safe during the summer holiday.
ATTENDANCE AT SCHOOL
We cannot emphasise
enough how important attendance is for all students. High Attendance allows them to achieve their
full potential. Please see information
via the links below with regard to attendance which has been emailed home today
and is also available on the school website.
YEAR 7 MORFA BAY TRIP
Last week
Year 7 students went to Morfa Bay in Wales for their 3 day residential trip,
the weather was kind and it would seem that a great time was had by all!
Feedback
from staff, students and parents has been very positive – one parent emailed
the school saying – ‘Thank you so much
for giving Year 7 such a fantastic time at Morfa Bay. Our son, enjoyed every
minute of it. The activities were brilliant fun, the assault course was 'epic'
and he really enjoyed getting to know the Year group better and making some new
friends. Thank you for helping to create
some memories which will stay with the children forever’.
Update from Peru
2017 Team below: -
We have Spent a lovely day in Lima. Then
travelled to the amazing city of Cusco 3,300 metres above sea level.
Fantastic views from the hostel in Cusco.
Met the project organsiers yesterday. We now
know what we are doing and have been thanked for the invaluable help.
The team leaders so far of Jonny Morris, Harry
Smale and Alex Stagg have all done an excellent job.
Berry Lewis and Harriet Foulner doing a great
job as our Spanish translators.
Ready to Learn Update
As we approach the end
of term I thought it appropriate to share some feedback about this development
at the school.
We have hosted visits
from staff who have similar systems at their schools, carried out student voice
work with different groups of students at Marlwood and convened meetings of a
staff steering group who have launched and monitored this system.
The main outcomes of the
Ready to Learn review are:
·
Numbers referred to the room have steadily declined to
single figures on most days
·
Low level disruption is no longer a feature of any
lessons observed
·
Staff are consistently implementing Ready to Learn
protocols
·
The rules regarding warnings will be slightly adjusted
and clarified at the start of Term 1
·
Students welcome the positive impact of Ready to Learn
on their progress in the classroom
·
Students referred to the room recognise that the class
they have left is better able to work and make progress because they have been
taken out.
Additional provision
from September:
The Ready to Learn room
should have six computers installed and networked plus the facility to offer
private coaching to those who are having issues relating to settling to
learning in the room.
We remain committed to
the work of Ready to Learn and thank staff, students and parents for their
support since its introduction.
EXPEDITION TO PERU
On Thursday 13th July current Year 12, Post-16 students from
Marlwood School departed for a month expedition to Peru.
The trip is an opportunity to experience the culture and sights of
Peru, undertake volunteering in the Scared Valley, trek in the Amazon
rainforest and visit the lost city of Machu Picchu.
The students will develop their own personal skills and each day students
will take it in turns to look after the needs for the whole group.
For many their exciting journey started over a year ago raising
the funds to finance the trip through, fundraising show, catering at events,
car washings and taking part time jobs whilst balancing studying.
The expedition is an opportunity for the students to discover and
experience a different culture. At Marlwood development isn’t just about
learning but developing and preparing students for the wider
world.
ROTARY YOUTH SPEAKERS COMPETITION
It was my pleasure
to be asked to join the judging panel for the Rotary Club Primary Pupils
Speaking Competition. The grand final
took place on Monday 3rd July at Olveston Parish Hall. The finalist had been through a rigorous
process of selection – having been through a competition at their primary
school in order to secure a position in the final. It was clear that the standard of speaking
was going to be high. The pupils had selected
topics on a wide range of subject. The
audience and judges were informed about the details of each topic which were:-
·
Gymnastics
·
Gloucester
Rugby Club
·
Irish
Dancing
·
Social
Media
·
Porsche
·
Bullying
·
Barcelona
·
Smoking
·
Street
Dance
With the
standard so high, judging was very close.
Marks were awarded for the structure of the speech, context, confidence,
clarity of delivery and engaging evidence.
The
overall winner for 2017 was George Peacock from Olveston. All three judges were in agreement that his
was the strongest presentation. We are
deeply delighted at Marlwood as George will be joining us in Year 7 in
September.
Many
thanks to the Rotary Club for organising this speech event and inviting me along
to help with the judging also I would like to thank the ‘inner wheel’ for
providing delicious refreshments.
WE WILL ROCK
YOU
Marlwood
School was alive with rock as it proudly presented ‘We Will Rock You’ by
Ben Elton with music from the legendry rock band, Queen,
last week.
Over 100
musicians, singers, actors, dancers, designers and technicians from all year
groups worked tirelessly to bring this fantastic show to life. Matinee
performances were enjoyed by local primary schools and New Siblands Secondary
School. Evening audiences from the community and families loved singing
along to all their favourite Queen hits.
It was a joy
to watch the Marlwood community coming together to put on this toe-tapping
extravaganza!’
I would
personally like to thank students and staff involved – putting on a show to
this high standard takes a lot of hard work.
Well done!
Marlwood
School is proud to present ‘We Will Rock You’ by Ben Elton with music from the
legendry rock band, Queen.
If you
love the music of Queen, you will love this! This fun, futuristic musical will
have your toes tapping and your hands clapping. Our amazing musicians, singers,
actors, dancers, designers and technicians from all years have been working
tirelessly to bring this fantastic show to life! Don’t miss out on a real
treat. Come in your favourite rock and roll gear! Bring your friends and
families!
Performances
will be taking place on Wednesday July 5th and Thursday July 6th at 7pm in The Drama Hall.
- Tickets: £6 or £3 concessions -on sale from Wednesday June 28th each lunch time, the Drama Hall
- Cheques made payable to Marlwood School with child’s name on the back, in an envelope clearly marked with child’s name, show choice and quantity of tickets needed.
We look
forward to seeing you there!
PRAISE AT MARLWOOD SCHOOL
As part of
the Readiness to Learn programme we are looking to enhance our Praise system.
The School Council will be sending out a questionnaire to all students next
week to look at ways which our students would like to receive praise. This
might be through a series of graded certificates, using Praise points as
‘currency’ to purchase items from a stationery shop or events such as a
celebratory tea with the Head…
Meanwhile we
continue to monitor Praise and are delighted that our categories P1, P2, P3 are
P4 well represented by all groups of students. An example of this is that our
Special Needs students, who represent 13% of the school population, received
22% of the share of P3 awards. P3 is particularly valued because it represents
excellence in learning – either a consistent effort over time or a piece of
work which has equalled or surpassed a target grade.
On average
staff are awarding over 800 Praise points per week and a letter to appear on
the school website shortly will outline the way these are shared with students
and yourselves. This week Mr Reed has written personally to a number of
students to reflect on Caught Being Kind in Term 5 and excellence in lessons
over the past week.
All Praise
points will be totalled and fed into the House Championship score at the end of
term.
READY TO LEARN
Readiness
to Learn is now settled and embedded in the school procedure. We have carried out surveys with students,
about how they think RtL is impacting on their learning and the response is
overwhelming positive with comments such as “the people who mainly disturb the
lessons have been sent out leaving the people who actually want to learn to be
able to try their hardest” and “while the teacher is teaching nobody interrupts
anymore”.
Responses from the
students and data collected from incident logging by staff is showing a drastic
drop in poor behaviour in the school.
Data shows that this has dropped by almost 50% which is very reassuring
and underpins the visible signs around the school that behaviour has and is
improving
READINESS
TO LEARN
Wow, what
a week!
Our
students have responded in the most incredible way to our raised and higher
expectations for learning in our classrooms.
Walking around Marlwood School has always been a pleasure and over the
past 2 years we have seen an increased focus from our students. However, Readiness to learn has elevated the
learning behaviour of our students even further. Students have used the practice days from
last week to familiarise themselves with the new raised expectations and the
numbers of students referred to our Readiness To Learn room has fallen
sharply. The small number who have found
themselves in the room have followed instructions well and have completed work,
they have been fairly unanimous in agreeing that they don’t want to miss
anymore lessons and will therefore be ‘Ready To Learn’ in lessons from now
on. The atmosphere and learning culture
in our classrooms is now of a very high standard. Teachers are already reporting that students
are getting through more work to a greater depth. Students are saying the same thing!
We have
also been delighted with the positive responses and feedback we have received
from parents. We will of course be
requesting feedback from you; please do not hesitate to contact us if you would
like to discuss any aspect of ‘Readiness to Learn’.
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