Spring 2020

IN THIS EDITION:

• ‘Oliver!’ Musical

• Year Group Highlights

• Ski Trip 2019

• House Points Update

• Student News & Achievements

• Library News

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Welcome Dear Parents/Carers

One of the central beliefs that we hold at Uffculme School is that education should be more than just helping students to achieve a strong set of qualifications for the future. Of course qualifications really matter to all of us (students, parents and staff alike), but at the same time education must be more than that. This includes helping students to develop a strong set of core values to underpin their lives, building their resilience, helping them to understand the world in which we live, with all of its challenges and opportunities, as well as understanding their responsibility towards one another and society as a whole.

Whilst some of these areas are developed in lessons, a large part comes through the numerous enrichment and extra-curricular opportunities that are available to students. This is why we continually encourage students, throughout their time in the school, to grab every opportunity that is available to them. We want students to make the most of their time at Uffculme School, and at the same time to grow and develop into the wonderful young adults that we know they are each capable of becoming.

Over the past twelve months we have worked to significantly increase the number and range of opportunities for students to get involved with, in the hope that everyone will find something that interests and excites them.

These include:

• Extending our ‘adventurous activities’ programme of canoeing, camping, caving, climbing, archery, kayaking, mountain biking etc;

• Adding a Year 10 trip to CERN;

• Providing an additional opportunity for the French Exchange students to travel and meet up with their exchange families;

• Providing the opportunity for students from Year 8 and 9 to take part in an expedition to India;

• Increasing what is available to students during Activities Week;

• And so much more.

This year we have appointed Mr Eve (formerly a member of our Maths Department) to take on a full time role co-ordinating our extra-curricular programme and although he has only had a few months working at the role, I am really pleased to see more activities being offered to students, as well as more taking part in what is available. And all of this is in addition to the many clubs and groups that meet throughout the week – Sports, Music, Drama, Film, Reading, ICT, Dance, Science…..the list goes on. And I haven’t even mentioned the music concerts and school productions. (I do hope that you got to see ‘Oliver!’ recently – it really was fantastic.)

Obviously some of these activities do involve a cost, but we would never want this to be a barrier to anyone that wants to join in. Indeed, this is why the Uffculme School Trust exists – to provide financial support for those that need it and hopefully ensure that all students get to take part and get involved in what is available. The process to access this help is very simple – just get in touch with the school’s Finance Office – with up to 50% of the costs funded in some cases. And this does not add to the cost for other students, instead all the Trust’s funds come through fundraising, with much of this being done by the student body themselves.

With so many things going on across all year groups it can sometimes be difficult to keep track of it all, or know what is coming up in the future, so we will shortly be launching a new calendar on our website so that parents can easily check what is planned. I know that sometimes people get frustrated when an event clashes with another one, or with something else that is taking place out of school, but I hope that you will understand that often they have to be scheduled at these points simply because these are the only times that either we can book facilities or when staff are available to run them.

On that note, I really want to mention the role of staff (both teaching and support staff), as well as an incredible band of volunteers, in making this amazing programme of activities happen. With the exception of Mr Eve’s Co-ordinator role, all the staff that give their time to run our programme of enrichment and extra-curricular activities do so on a completely voluntary basis. None of them are paid for doing so, or receive time off in lieu. Staff run all these activities for the students simply because they believe it matters – not only in the memories it makes, but also for the impact it can have upon the students as young people. And I’m sure that you would want to join me in thanking them all for their commitment, as well as the time and effort that they put in alongside their day job of making Uffculme School tick.

Finally, thank you to all the parents and families of our students who support us with this programme of activities. This can range from sitting in the car park waiting to transport students home following a rehearsal or fixture to picking them up at midnight from a school trip to just encouraging them to be brave and try something new. Whilst it is easy to dismiss this as just “something we do for our children”, your support plays a significant part in helping students get the most out of their time at school, and without it Uffculme School would not be the special place that it is. - Alan Blackburn (Headteacher)

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Student Council News

In 1999 the Diana Award Charity was established with one key belief: young people have the power to change the world. With help from Alex Holmes, the charity created an anti-bullying programme. Recently, a group of pupils from Uffculme School have received Anti-Bullying training from the charity. There are now over 24,000 Anti-Bullying Ambassadors in schools across the UK. The anti-bullying team here at Uffculme School now has seven members: Lottie Evans, Nick Jarvis, Charlotte Powell, Samuel Persey, Josie Cole, Tom Evans and Ruby Macklin. In December we took part in a training day at Exeter School which covered the identification of different types of bullying, how to spot bullying and how to raise awareness within our school and local community.

During the training day we were asked to choose a badge that we would like to work towards as a community. We chose the Respect Badge and, within that, the LGBTQ+ subtopic; currently we are working towards the successful completion of this badge before moving on to the next. We are in regular phone contact with the charity to keep them updated on our activities; they monitor our progress and suggest ideas they have to help us.

In school, after the training session, we held numerous meetings to discuss plans we wished to introduce. Our first job was to review the current anti-bullying policy. As a group we then created a ‘safe space map’ to highlight the areas in which we could hold drop-in sessions (held every Monday and Thursday lunchtime in the Venue foyer from 2:00-2:20pm). One thing we are particularly proud of is our assembly. All members of the group were brave enough to stand up in front of their peers and let them know who we are. To make sure everyone is kept up to date on what we are doing we have made our own notice board, which can be found in the Venue foyer, along with a letter box so that anyone can get in contact with us. We would love to involve as many people as possible in the battle against bullying.

We will be back with further updates soon. - Lottie Evans and the rest of the Anti-Bullying Team

Message from the Head Boy & Head Girl We have had yet another remarkably busy few months. As we said goodbye to 2019, enduring a two-week window of mock exams and enjoying an incredible ski trip to Austria, we welcomed in a crisp 2020 full of hope, hard work and the endgame in sight; the countdown to GCSEs. Whilst priorities lie with revision, the Senior Council has been exercising its democratic right to be heard. We are all very focused on the topic of mental health and how it can be affected both in classrooms and nationally, so we have pledged to raise the profile of this issue by delivering a series of assemblies based on kindness and the impact of words. Over the next couple of months as Head Boy and Head Girl, we also plan to create fur-ther opportunities for our community to be sustainable by cutting food waste, shrinking energy consumption and reducing plastic waste. We will continue to raise awareness of the many issues students at Uffculme are passionate about, but our fundamental aim of the moment is to influence being kind. Happy 2020!

#WorkHardGetInvolvedBeKind

- Mitch Fisher (Head Boy) & Poppy Baker (Head Girl)

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Year 7 Highlights Over the last term the students of Year 7 have been particularly busy. The History Castle competition was entered into with great enthusiasm. There were over 50 entries (over 25% of the year group) - the highest number of partic-ipants ever. The students made their entries in a wide variety of materials; from clay to cake to actual stone! The detailing and effort involved was absolutely outstanding - a huge ‘Well Done!’ to all who entered.

Uffculme School places a great emphasis on the importance of reading. Year 7 have become really engaged with this and over the course of one term they collectively read in excess of 870 books - an average of 4.2 books per student. This is an astonishing number and they really should be proud of their achievements. Alongside this we are running the 8B48 Reading Challenge - where students are challenged to read a selection of books that they may not normally read, are more complex in their writing, or may simply be much longer books than usual. I am pleased to say that we have just awarded the very first badge for this challenge to Ethan Wall - congratulations Ethan! I hope that by the Summer newsletter we will have been able to award many more.

On an individual note, Bianka Rosolak has taken part in a local speaking competition where she did extremely well, Ruby Macklin is part of the anti-bullying team, whilst Isla Malone has been awarded an individual medal in the recent Year 7 dance competition for self belief. Congratulations also to the whole Year 7 dance group who recently entered the East Devon Schools Dance competition qualifier event and won, so they will now go through to the final at the Devon Schools Games soon to take place in Paignton - Good Luck to you all! In terms of future events, 80 students are currently undertaking their training for the Exmoor Challenge - a walking event of 16 miles across Exmoor. We wish them luck in their training - lets hope they don't get too muddy with the weather we have had! - Miss Bartlett, Head of Year 7

Some of our Year 7 students have asked to contribute to this newsletter as they wanted to express their views on aspects that they enjoy in school:

I enjoy P.E. because it is fun and I enjoy doing sport. Even though you feel like you are not learning in the usual way, you learn an awful lot about how to be a team player and lots of new skills. Food Tech is great because you get to use your imagination to create delicious meals that you can eat at the end! Catering is a challenge too because you have a time limit of 60 minutes so as well as having fun and cooking there are lots of challenges. Sometimes I forget that I've put food in the oven and my friend Rosie has to remind me so my challenge is to remember this! I also find History exciting because we learn about the past. It is very interesting how things used to be and none of us would be as we are today if it wasn't for History. - Chelsy Ingram

I do Drama Club every Monday and we are currently doing a piece for House Drama. We have been given a stimu-lus to base our pieces around. Drama club is run by Mr Barge and the Year 11 prefects - it is great because you can create different pieces and forget about other things that have been going on in your mind lately. I also go to the UCC Choir Club on Tuesday lunchtimes in MS1. It is taught by Miss Brain and Mrs Luing-Holmes. We are currently practising for our concert in Barcelona! We will be flying from Bristol Airport in the Summer Term and then explor-ing and singing in Barcelona! - Emily Norman

In ICT, I have really enjoyed learning about Safer Internet Day. We are also learning how to make comic strips and are basing them on the positive and negative features of the Internet. In Drama, we are learning about Anne Frank and in History we are studying the Elizabethan times. It is interesting to look at the different objects in portraits, and find out what they meant. - Martha Hallmark

This term we have done lots of fun activities at Science Club, including making paper rockets. Using a bike pump and a piece of pipe with a shut off valve, we fired the paper rockets up the five-a-side football pitch. One of the other cool things we did was growing our own crystal gardens. We did this in beakers using water and magnesium salt. The crystals grew up and they were lots of different colours; they were really pretty. The final activity I liked was making slime using glue, powdered paint and borax (maybe some bicarb). Once we had made it, we found out it felt really weird and was super stretchy. - Alastair Full

Year 7 Dance group with their certificates

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Year 8 continue to impress me with their energy and enthusiasm both in and outside of the classroom. I have just read all their Spring Term reports and I am delighted to say that they continue to impress me with their strong work ethic and high standards of behaviour. As a year group, they have set a very high benchmark. In the last edition, I congratulated our new Year 8 Student Council on their successful selection; they now have their first real challenge coming up. They will be tasked with leading a Year Group fundraising event, where students will select a charity of their choice and create a fundraising activity to take place in school. This is an exciting opportunity that I hope the whole year group will get behind and support. On the subject of fundraising, I would like to mention Theo McGoldrick, who instigated the ‘Save Australia Day’ fundraising event. He asked if we could do something to sup-port the cause, produced the posters and attended both collection sessions, helping to collect the money and cover the map in coins. Well done Theo!

One of the highlights of the Year 8 curriculum is our Personal Development Programme, which is delivered through discrete lessons, one hour per week. It is now a legal requirement that all schools teach health education in addi-tion to relationships education. With concerns about young peoples’ mental health on the rise, and physical health – including obesity and healthy lifestyles – an ongoing issue, we hope that our personal development programme will have a significant impact on the health, wellbeing and safety of our students. The aim of relationships educa-tion is to give young people the information they need to help them develop healthy, nurturing relationships of all kinds, so that they know what acceptable and unacceptable behaviour in relationships is.

- Ms Challenor, Head of Year 8

For this edition of the newsletter I have invited a few students to say a little more about some of the activities that have been taking place. Their contributions are below:

Chelsea’s Choice Play - Poppy Newton and Tarryn Burgess As part of the Personal Development curriculum we received a special visit from an acting group based in London, who performed a play for us. The play talked about internet safety, sexual exploitation, online exploitation, and was aimed around young adults and teenagers. The play was about a school drama lesson, which included students performing a piece about a girl called Chelsea, who fell into a trap and was exploited by an older man. Year 8 really enjoyed the play and it taught us to never turn a blind eye to signs of exploitation. It presented a subject that is not often spoken about, in a way that would appeal to young people. It informed us about the danger of online dating, peer pressure and meeting unknown people. The play opened our eyes to the stages of exploitation, and how we could be affected. After the performance, the actors talked to us about how this can be a real situation and how to get help if yourself or others are being targeted. We would also recognise if we ourselves or our peers were being exploited since we now know the warning signs of this.

Online Learning on Relationships - Alice Denning and Grace Trowbridge In Personal Development, we had begun to learn about relationships and relationship safety. We were introduced to the online learning programme called ‘Lottie,’ named after a fictional character. This would help us to under-stand ways in which we could stay safe when talking to unfamiliar people online. The course was split into several stages; within each stage we were given access to all Lottie’s social media accounts. We could see her messages and videos that she had posted. Lottie was a young girl, aged 14, who had begun messaging an older boy. They were in an unhealthy relationship which Lottie had become trapped in. During each stage we had to answer questions on what Lottie was currently going through and whether the decisions she made were correct. These questions helped us to think about how we ourselves can stay safe and protected online. This course has had a big impact on us, it made us realise how easy it can be to become vulnerable online and how to be wary and cautious and to make the correct decisions to keep us safe. We found that this programme was very effective compared to a regular lesson; the chance for us to be interactive with the programme helped us to learn and taught us a lot of valuable lessons that we can use as we grow older. We found this course helpful and have been very grateful to learn about this topic.

Police Talk on Drugs - Amelie Heath Last term, Year 8 students had a visit from a policeman who talked to us about drugs and the consequences of taking them. He helped us to understand the risks and laws surrounding recreational substances such as ‘legal highs’, Class A and Class B drugs, the types of drug and the physical effects and consequences. We were taught about what drugs are most dangerous and how they are transported and distributed. He shared some interesting anecdotes relating to his position in the police force. He showed us stories and images of noses with holes in after months and months of cocaine use, which hopefully discouraged everyone from using it. The fact that he talked to us like adults made us feel well informed and listen better to what these substances can do to you. Because the policeman gave us information but didn’t tell us explicitly not to do something, it made us feel like it was our choice, therefore making us not want to. The talk gave us an idea of the effects of drugs, how we can recognise if someone close to us is using drugs and what to do if someone is. I don’t think that any of us will be using any of the things he mentioned! Altogether, the policeman was very engaging and, hopefully, gave the entire class an insight into the disturbing and dangerous world of drugs.

Year 8 Highlights

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Year 9 Highlights

Year 10 Highlights

It’s hard to believe that we’re more than halfway through Year 10 already! It won’t be long before students will have completed their first two GCSE courses - RE and English Literature (for the majority of the year group) and are off visiting the beach on our traditional Reward Trip before they go on to attend work experience during the last week of the school year.

We’ve had another fantastic year so far, with two sets of very impressive reports already sent home – it is pleasing to see that the year group do really seem to understand the amount of hard work and commitment to learning needed to help them fulfil their potential. As ever, we’re immensely proud of them, and believe that they can go on to achieve great things across the whole of their school life and beyond.

As well as academic success, it’s been great to see students continuing to throw themselves into the extra-curricular life of the school. I’m sure you will have heard of the many exciting things they’ve been getting up to – from our successful sports teams, to a large number completing their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and moving on to work on their Silver Award. We’ve also got a good number of year 10s making preparations to undertake the Ten-Tors challenge in May – a huge challenge to take up in the middle of the exam preparations!

The school recently put on a fantastic performance of the musical ‘Oliver!’ in which numerous Year 10 students took part and featured in major roles. They really were amazing – whether performing on stage or helping behind the scenes to make the show the massive success it was. Huge thanks should go to all the members of staff who make all of these opportunities possible, as well as all of the superb extra-curricular activities that take place all year round. Another huge highlight has been the outstanding musical performances in assemblies by lots of our year group members; we have so many incredibly talented pupils who are willing to share their gifts with us.

Students in Year 10 are now thoroughly focused on preparing for their summer exams in RE and English Literature. RE intervention at lunchtime and after-school revision sessions have been running since mid-January, with good numbers of pupils attending frequently. English intervention and revision sessions are now also up and running – students should speak with their English teachers to clarify what they need to be doing and when. We know that our most successful students are those who take advantage of the extra support that their teachers supply.

It’s also important to highlight that these in-school sessions do not negate the need for a healthy revision pro-gramme at home. We’d encourage you to spend some time with your children over the next few weeks, looking at their revision timetable (or making one if they haven’t already!) and encouraging them to use their remaining time wisely before the exams start – now just 8 school weeks away. (Continued overleaf)

Year 9 students have had another busy term both inside and outside of the classroom. The Spring reports were extremely positive as a cohort and have given students plenty of food for thought as they approach the task of selecting their Key Stage 4 options. This process includes the Options Evening where students and parents have the opportunity to meet with teachers and discuss the various subjects available in order to make informed choices.

Outside of the classroom it has been a very busy term. The fantastic production of ‘Oliver!’ contained many Year 9 pupils both on stage and in the crew. Congratulations to all who took part for all of their hard work and commit-ment to the show.

The Year 9 rugby team have reached the final of the Devon County Schools Cup after convincingly beating West Buckland School in the semi finals; they will now go on to play Ivybridge Community College in the final. 90 pupils are well under way with the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award; they have signed up for volunteering in the local community and are taking part in physical challenges as part of this very popular and highly regarded course.

Some exciting events coming up include the Sport Relief Mile on 13th March where pupils are encouraged to raise money for Sport Relief by taking part in a 1-mile fun run at lunchtime. Also approaching fast is the summer concert, which was a big success last year and is one of the highlights of the school calendar for many students.

Slightly further ahead students are very much looking forward to Activities Week at the end of the Summer term, where many have selected to go on residential trips to Cornwall or to the Tamworth Snowdome for ski lessons.

As always with such a short and busy term there are too many achievements to mention all of the successes of the Year 9 pupils. They continue to impress with their positive attitude towards school and it is great to see them get-ting involved in such a wide range of extra curricular activities.

- Mr Heard, Head of Year 9

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Year 10 Highlights (continued)

Unbelievably, this will be my final newsletter entry for this year group! As always, the process of taking a group of students through secondary school is a bittersweet one. I will be very sad to see them go and will miss seeing them every day, but knowing their plans for next year I am so excited for them to be able to take the next big step.

Year 11 is inevitably a busy, compact and stressful year, but they have absolutely taken this in their stride and have continued to live up to the high standards they have previously set for themselves.

They showed remarkable dedication in the run-up to the mock exams before Christmas, have tackled coursework with confidence and concentration, and have begun their preparation for their final exams with focus and fortitude. I have no doubt that they will continue to work hard over these final months and anticipate some truly outstanding results from this great year group.

In these final few half-terms, it is important that students regularly work in the evenings, going over the key infor-mation and doing practice tests and quizzes. Additionally, attendance at revision and intervention sessions is hugely powerful in helping to secure target grades.

Though at times it can feel never-ending it is essential that they keep going through this final push. Knowing that they have fully applied themselves in their exams is the best way for them to really relax and enjoy that long summer holiday!

As ever, I am amazed at students’ ability to fit in such a broad range of activities. Our sports teams have continued to represent the school in a variety of disciplines, with fantastic enthusiasm and skill across the board.

Lots of students were involved with our production of ‘Oliver!’, taking up lead roles on the stage and essential roles backstage and in the orchestra. Furthermore, our Senior Student Council have worked tremendously hard in a range of areas, from Prom and leavers’ tasks to recycling and anti-bullying in school.

Finally, as always, thank you for your support as parents in encouraging them along to extra sessions, monitoring homework and independent study, and keeping them positive through this vital part of their school career.

We look forward to seeing them go on to the next stage of their journeys and wish them well in all the new challenges this brings.

- Mr Hagan, Head of Year 11

Year 11 Highlights

There is a range of revision tips and resources available on the school website, including advice and guidance for parents for supporting their children during what can be a very stressful time for all involved (see ‘Student Life’ > ‘Exams’). Year 10 students have also been emailed lots of revision tips and resources, and can find further advice and guidance via Class Charts.

One final request – thanks for all your hard work in supporting the year group in getting work experience sorted out. As mentioned previously, this takes place during the final week of the school year (or earlier if arranged with the school) and is mandatory for all students.

We’re at a critical stage now in planning for it – so if your child is yet to arrange their placement they really need to be in frequent contact with Mrs Cross, who helps to co-ordinate all things to do with work experience. I’m sure that this will be a brilliant experience for our students, and will help them to clarify their future plans.

As ever, if you have any questions or concerns about any aspects of life in Year 10 please do get in touch with my-self (Mr Thompson, Head of Year) or Mr Lepper (Deputy Head). We want to do everything we can to support your children as they work through this year.

The next three or so months are all about working hard, putting in the time and effort and paying attention to the advice and information they are given. With the right attitude, we know that Year 10 are in a very strong position to do well in the summer exams. Thank you for all your support as we work with you in helping the year group to fulfil their potential.

- Mr Thompson, Head of Year 10

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House Points Update It has been a busy couple of terms in the House Competition. In Maths we’ve had weekly problem solving with Mr Burt; in English there have been punctuation contests as well as several reading schemes in KS3 (this includes both the individual Year 7 & 8 “Reading Rewards” as well as the tutor-lead “Round the World Reading” to experience stories and tales from children in other cultures); Cross Country, European Languages quizzes, Inter Faith Week quizzes, Historical Castle Building, Mock Elections, the Winter Art challenge and the Landscape Photography chal-lenge have also all been taking place, providing plenty of opportunities to get involved and earn House Points too.

Just before the Easter break, we will have our first big event in House Drama with performances which students have been preparing for since Christmas. Also on the horizon is Science Week and the Science Club contests, Textiles Instagram contest, UK Maths challenges, Red Nose Day, the Great Uffculme Bake-Off and an ICT Speed-Typing competition. This isn’t even including the massive House Music, Uff-Fest and Sports Day events we look forward to at the end of the year. The current standings show Gaddon retaking the number 1 spot (can they make it three years in a row?) with Bridwell slipping into 3rd place just behind Craddock. With so much more still to come there is everything to play for - good luck to you all. - Mr Osmond

Current House Scores: (As of 2nd March 2020)

CHAT Foodbank Collection We would like to thank all our students and their families for their generosity in the recent collection of foodbank items for CHAT in Tiverton. CHAT is a local charity helping to prevent homelessness and supporting homeless people within Tiverton and beyond; the items you donated will be used to make food and essentials parcels for those in need of these basic supplies. We had so many donations that representatives from CHAT had to come to us twice to collect it all, which shows just how passionate our students and the community are to support such an important service. Thank you also to the Senior Student Council, who undertook the mammoth task of sorting and loading all the donated items - fantastic team work from you all!

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We have also launched a new reading list for Year 9 students focussing on building empathy. We want to encourage students to engage with a wide range of emotional issues surrounding relationships, adolescent mental health and wellbeing, body image and identity as well as social

issues such as dealing with bereavement, homelessness or being a young carer.

Sometimes stories, or Bibliotherapy, can be a non-threatening way to make sense of these complex situations, build empathy and develop

resilience; with this in mind, we have put together a reading list of nov-els by well-respected Young Adult authors based on recommendations

from Devon School Library Service (you can view this list using the ‘Reading List’ link on the school website’s ‘Literacy’ page).

Library News

Ethan with his new badge

Year 7 are making good progress with the 8B48 Reading Challenge and, at the time of printing, 2 students have almost completed the Bronze stage of the Chal-lenge and are close to receiving their first reading badge. One student, however, has now completed the Challenge - congratulations to Ethan Wall (7BARGE) on being the very first student to earn his badge!

This term sees the end of the KS3 Round the World House Reading Competition, with 8STONE the clear winners for Gaddon. Students engaged well with their chosen novel and have produced some colourful and informative postcards which are on display in the library.

This year’s ‘Stretch and Challenge’ House competition has now been launched for Year 9, with students being challenged to make an in-depth study on the subject of Climate Change (more details available from the Librarian).

Some of the postcards currently on display in the Library from the ‘Round the World’ House Reading Challenge

World Book Day took place early in March; students in all years received a £1 book token that they can exchange for a free book (from a selection of titles) or £1 off any book of their choice in most book shops - we hope you all use this opportunity and enjoy choosing something new to read.

At the time of writing we are currently looking forward to the annual Readathon, which by the time you read this newsletter will have taken place; this is an event many students really enjoy for the opportunity to spend a whole day reading, with the additional treat of a visit from an author. Look out for an update on this year’s Readathon in the next edition!

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’Oliver!’ Cor! Blimey! What a bloomin’ magnificent bunch of performers we ‘ave ‘ere at Uffculme!

Praise has been raining down on students and staff involved in Uffculme School’s production of ‘Oliver!’ Over 100 students, from Years 8 to 11, rehearsed for nine months to perfect their smashing performances and astonish sell-out audiences in the Venue over four glorious nights.

Teachers exclaimed: “It was a privilege to work with such a talented, driven, inspiring and supportive cast.”; “It was an honour to be involved, and work with these fabulous students and staff members. I loved every minute!”; “I am so pleased that I get the opportunity every day to work with such amazing people. Everyone pulled together and should be incredibly proud of what we accomplished.”

Tears erupted as the cast completed their final performance and Year 11s waved goodbye to “memories that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives.” It was a lovely way to end our 5-year journey at Uffculme and our last moments before revision takes over the next two months of our lives! However, the next generation of enthusiastic actors will ‘be back soon!’ for another outstanding Uffculme standard performance to grace and grip the Venue’s audiences once again.

Whilst mourning the end of the show and the sudden freedom they faced, the leads and senior ensemble members clubbed together for one last go of ‘Oom Pah Pah’ (not much acting needed). ‘Oom Pah Pah’ definitely topped the list of the best show moments, along with the Undertakers, Fagin’s mischievous gang, ‘Who Will Buy’, Dr.Grimwig and Ol’ Sally’s emotional and heart wrenching passing. ‘Food, Glorious Food’ did sadly not make the list, as we still don’t know the order of the adjectives and don’t have the pipes to hit the West End high notes!

Lost voices, cuts and friction burns; the cast still thoroughly enjoyed the nine month period, meeting new people and encouraging some to pursue acting in the future. Teachers pushed us through, guiding us all the way and ordering us to not consume dairy (some didn’t conform) lest we perish on stage. Hehe. We really want to thank all the staff who encouraged and pushed us to realise our potential: Mrs Groves, Mr Colwill, Mrs Bradley, Mrs Duncan, Mr Barge, Mrs Croft, Heidi Gubby and all at New Beginnings, Mr Jeffrey, Mr Hagan, Miss Hollis, Steve Grant and Mrs Ballantyne in the band and, finally, to Mrs Luing-Holmes for her leadership of the staff team and the cast of students. We also want to give thanks to Hilary Clements and Karina Balado for heading up the front of house team. - Ruby Downing-Martin, Evangeline Wakefield and Nick Jarvis.

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’Oliver!’ CAST: Annabel Pitts - Oliver Ty Jaudat-Newman - Fagin Taine D’Arby - The Artful Dodger Alfie Parkins - Bill Sikes Rose McCombe - Nancy Anna Lord - Bet Henry Todd - Mr Bumble Felicity Reed - Mrs Corney Amelia Moore - Mr Brownlow Harry Wolfenden - Mr Sowerberry Molly Upton - Mrs Sowerberry Sinead Corbett - Charlotte Nick Jarvis - Noah Claypole Ruby Downing-Martin - Dr Grimwig Grace Trowbridge - Mrs Bedwin Poppy Baker - Ol’ Sally Katie Bainbridge - Charley Bates Evangeline Wakefield - Rose Seller Hermione Hunt - Magnificent Matron Maddie Perkins - Milkmaid/Lead dancer Evie Wakefield - Rose Seller Tom Morris - Policeman/Lamplighter/Fagin’s gang Alex Jarvis - Knife Grinder Adrian Nnolim - Bartender/Fagin’s gang Erin Oliver - Strawberry Seller Scarlett Joiner - Glorious Gate Keeper

LEAD DANCERS/ENSEMBLE: Lily Budden, Maisie Budden, Jess Shrewsbury, Lucy Elliott, Bella Oram

LEAD ENSEMBLE: Nelly Nash, Martha Reynell, Isabella Hart, Antonia Pears, Gabriel Pears, Rebecca Newberry, Tom Evans, Alannah Chaplin, Rosie Long, Freya Norman, Carla Lloyd, Steph Curnow, Emily Cole, Teddy Dickson, Isla Chaplin

FAGIN’S GANG: Archie Parkins, Callum McIlhagga, Loretta Brooke, Amelie Heath, Matilda Lord, Niamh Murray, Collette Batchelor, Grace Hamilton Lloyd, Annabel Knight, Holly Partridge, Emily Baker, Harry Clarke-Hawkins, Ellie Frost, Taryn Burgess, Nea King, Henry Hewson, Lydia Leavey-Jones

ORPHANAGE ENSEMBLE: Tori Hutter-Broad, Molly Al-Hussaini, Immi Elliot, Alura Pennington, Caitlin Nordsworthy, Abi Churchward, Charlie Birchall, Meski Kempster-Weldon, Charley Jefferies, Daisy Lucas, Issy Dunster, Emily Packham, Charlotte McIlhagga, Chloe McIlhagga, Ava Yuill, Kaysie Hutchings

MUSIC: Lucy Gardner (Violin), Seb Gardener (Trombone)

BACKSTAGE CREW / HAIR AND MAKEUP: Mia Townsend (Lead Artist), Hannah Robey, Macie Greening, Lily Brice, Ruby-May Stone, Baylee Lindsell

STAGE HANDS: Isabella Patterson, Alice Hare, Daniel Trollope, Maddie Barton, Ashley Crabtree, Alfie Seal

TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR NEW BEGINNINGS: Max Oliver, John Merrick

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Art Department News Photography and Chemigram Workshop

GCSE Art students recently had the opportunity to participate in a Photography and Chemigram workshop led by Sharon Hawkins from Petroc College. Students learnt about photography development processes and learnt how to use developing liquid to create fantastic shapes and patterns. This experience and the work produced is hugely val-uable to students and can be incorporated into their coursework for the GCSE. We would like to thank Sharon from Petroc for her expertise and patience and our thanks also to the students for their effort and enthusiasm in creating these great experimental pieces of work.

Art Exhibition at Cullompton Arts House

Back in November some of our students had the amazing experience of being selected to display their work in a public exhibition. 30 pieces of work in total (from 19 students) were selected by Annie Tildesley from Cullompton Arts House, to be included in an exhibition featuring art from local schools displayed alongside local artists’ work. The exhibition was a week long and ran from the 30th of November to the 6th of December.

Well done to: Ruben Greenaway, Elen Osborne, Gabriel Pears, Nina Dickens, Madeline Barton, Collette Batchelor, Lydia Leavey-Jones, Isadora Mackenzie, Alisha Walker, Grace Keenoy, Joseph Bobba, Cadie Yardley, Honey Buffham-Green, Annabelle Millar, Henry Dunster, Amelia Edwards, Victoria Tomlinson, Ella Bagnell and Rosie Richardson.

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German Christmas Markets Trip Late in the evening of Wednesday 4th December, sleepy students from Year 8 and 9 boarded two buses bound for the Christmas Markets in Cologne, Germany to take part in the annual German Christmas Markets trip. This trip provides an excellent opportunity for students studying Modern Languages to practise their German language skills in an authentic real-life setting, whilst simultaneously enjoying the traditional festive delights the region has to offer. Following the overnight bus journey, students are able to visit the traditional Christmas Markets as well as enjoying a visit to the Lindt Chocolate Museum and the Phantasialand amusement park. The pieces below were written by students for the trip’s online blog:

“In the morning, after we had eaten the delicious breakfast prepared by the hotel staff, we took a short bus journey to the Cathedral market, with Mr. Eve talking all about the city and the cathedral itself. Unfortunately, the market was mostly closed when we got there, but don't worry; we didn't forget it! Instead, we took a leisurely stroll through the high street nearby, gazing at the glamorous shop windows and eating the fragrant foods that were on offer. After that, we took a few photos before we walked to our next stop - the wonderous chocolate museum! As I walked through those doors and took my first breath of sweet, notoriously chocolatey air, I thought that I had entered heaven. There were interactive displays and information boards that added another layer to the already incredible experience - there was even an artificial ecosystem, showing plants from around the world that are vital to the cocoa production that most of us love today. The thing that most of us cared about though, was the free chocolate! There was a fountain of milk chocolate that poured out like a waterfall, prompting a lot of stomach-rumbling!” - Eli Bottrill, Isla Stone, Ruben Kirby, Sophie Perrott, Will Hands, India Ewings

“Phantasialand was a great experience. The roller coasters were amazing - I felt like I might fall out of one which was petrifying but funny. I was very confused by the perplexing map - and the completely German signs were a challenge - but you could say that simply walking around was great for working on our sense of direction! It was at least 6 times better than Disneyland because there were no mildly intimidating dressed up characters which was wonderful. I would love to go back!” - Lydia Leavy Jones

Today we had lots of fun at Phantasialand. I passed out on The Taron as it went very fast on a loop the loop, but it was still my favourite roller coaster I've ever been on. We also went in the Mad House where the rooms spun around us and it was very cool. If you're ever thinking about going on the German market trip I very much recom-mend it. - Ruben Kirby

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Ski Trip 2019

Monday 16th December A good night's sleep and an early morning call for breakfast at 7.15am - most of the students were already down by 7.00am, which was very impressive and boded well for the first day of skiing. A hearty buffet breakfast was enjoyed by all, then students and staff collected their skis, poles and boots for the first day of skiing.

A very short walk to either the ski lift or gondola (for the experienced skiers) - for most students this was their first experience of riding on a chairlift. Lots of excitement in the air and soon we were all experiencing the wonderful vistas this resort has in abundance. Next up, the students were introduced to their IBT Ski instructors and started lessons on the nursery slopes to gain more experience and enhance confidence.

A well earned lunch break was very welcome and tales of the morning were flowing around and across tables. Food and drink ordered and consumed to 'top up' the spent calories of the morning’s skiing, then back out for the rest of Day 1. All safely down off the mountain, back to our hotels for a rest and quiet time before the evening meal, followed by the Day 1 Ski Presentations. Apres Ski this evening was a visit to a swimming pool.

Tuesday 17th December Most groups have now moved onto the button lift next to the nursery area; only a few falls and most students are now confident with this type of lift after a few 'rides' up the slopes. Looking out across the nursery area, the students' confidence and techniques are improving by the minute, and thanks to our skiing staff, we have some images of the advanced student groups.

Another couple of hours and we'll be on our way across to Salzberg for the Christmas Market, followed by a pizza supper on the journey back to the Hotels. Due to our Xmas market excursion there will be a double award ceremony tomorrow.

Wednesday 18th December A slightly later start today means an extra 15 minutes sleep before breakfast. Students split off into their groups for the start of their third day of skiing; steady progress has been made and some groups are now venturing onto the Blue slopes across the mountain.

At the end of the day's skiing we enjoyed some well-earned ‘chill out’ time before our evening meal and presentations. Due to the busy schedule yesterday, tonight was a double header for the 'Skier of the Day', 'Legend of the Day' and 'Turkey of the Day' Awards!

Our evening excursion was to a pool and karaoke bar which was enjoyed by all. Returned to the hotel for a good night's sleep in anticipation of another good day on the slopes to-morrow.

On Saturday 14th December a group of over 100 Year 11 students plus staff boarded the three buses which would take them to Austria for the annual Ski Trip. This trip is a much-anticipated highlight for Year 11 students and is preceded by multiple training sessions at a local dry ski slope. Whilst the journey was a very long one (over 25 hours!) students were delighted to arrive at their snowy destination and certainly made the most of the time they spent there; huge improvements to skiing skills and a lot of fun were the main themes! Below are some excerpts from the online blog:

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Ski Trip 2019 Friday 20th December Final breakfast consumed and off to the slopes for our final day; seeing the confidence and progress of all students from Day 1 has been a absolute delight. During lunch break in the ski restaurant our students presented their IBT ski instructors with gifts as a show of their appreciation for the week and in turn every skier was presented with a certificate from their group instructor. Upon the final descent to the base village of Alpendorf, skis, boots and ski poles were collected and ski instructors bid farewell to the now fully trained skiers. All packed up, final meal finished with presentations afterwards - now it’s time for the long journey home!

Thursday 19th December After breakfast we headed to the slopes for our penultimate day of skiing; another sunny start with our skiers soon head-ing off to various locations for the first “run” of the day, all looking significantly more confident and improving with every extra hour on the slopes. The ski awards were held after our evening meal; the Master of Ceremonies was once again Mr Carpanini and our IBT reps Tom and Ella pre-sented the various awards to the winning students. A night at the Apres Ski disco or a quiz was a fantastic way to end our day and for those who had not already made a start on packing for the journey home, a small amount of time was left to get this done before lights out.

Student Quotes:

“A bumpy, rocky ride through 4 different coun-tries......England to Austria.”

“The bus journey felt shorter than it actually was....25hrs 9 mins ......I timed it. We played a lot of card games and had a laugh.”

“The skiing has been hilarious, the best moment was when my friend 'crashed' into 5 people.....”

“Best trip of my school life - really fun and lots of new places, very beautiful scenery.....”

“Today was fun as we got to go onto the slopes. We all lined up and Izzy fell and caused a human snowball down the mountain.”

“Today my group went on lots of Red routes we even took the G-link to another route.......which no one fell down on!”

“Even when you are not doing so well, it is good to have a positive mindset.”

“Today we learnt how to advance our skills from amateur to intermediate skiers e.g parallel turning and stopping.”

“The instructors have been amazing. All beginners can now ski across the entire mountain.”

“Today was fun; Morgan our instructor helped me plough parallel which was good.”

“Today was awesome, I managed to ski down the blue slope. I also made a snowman, which my instructor named Kevin.”

“Everyone supported everyone, no matter what level of ability or how many times you fell over.”

“What a trip! Would recommend to anyone - trip of a life-time.”

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English Dept - Writing Competitions Year 8 Gothic Writing Competition: The Winners Anya Trollope has written her way to victory in this year’s Gothic Writing Competition, run by the English depart-ment. Our Year 11 student judges praised Anya’s excellent vocabulary in creating an intense gothic atmosphere. In second place was Naeve Dancer and in third was Matilda Lord, whilst Ethan Gosling and Frances Grattan both received ‘Highly Commended’ awards. All winners will receive house points for their magnificent efforts. Extracts from the winning entries have been printed below for you to marvel at and enjoy. Well done to all who entered; the English department have been hugely impressed with this year’s standards.

• First Place: Anya Trollope

…There was something, something unnerving, almost supernatural, which was present in the weather. Brumous, it reflected the now empty feeling inside, taking over my body, replacing the ecstasy I once sensed. My surroundings were the kind said to imprint mortal terror into your soul, yet I was left there senseless, unable to overcome what I faced. Lamenting my decision, I ventured further. I began to feel trapped; the trees towered above as the dull whistle of the breeze echoed throughout…

• Second Place: Naeve Dancer

My footsteps echoed as the trees danced overhead. We were alone. The mossy earth was lit by the revolving moon around us. The ghoulish stream drifted down past the arctic cathedral. No one had entered since the priest was murdered 42 years ago. No one dared. Mist clouded around it like a bird at its prey. Strange noises came from every corner, ghosts capered inside, jovial to have it to themselves. Mary stood by my side, scared to move. “We should go home!” “No,” I uttered. “Stay a little longer.”…

• Third Place: Matilda Lord

I felt the sadness bubble up inside me, overflowing as tears sprinted down my face. My legs were cold and damp from kneeling on the rotting foliage. It was silent, apart from my irregular sobs and sniffles. Like always, no one wanted to be with me, so I ran away, into the ancient wood. “Oh, for God’s sake,” I muttered to myself. Such blasphemy my father would have remorselessly punished. Although, by then, he sat in his rocking chair, slowly withering away; his mortality showed more than ever…

Year 7 Suspense Writing Competition: The Winners And the ‘suspense’ is finally over for the entrants of the Year 7 Suspense Writing Competition, with Daisy Coburn taking this year’s crown. Daisy’s writing was praised by our Year 11 student judges as ‘excellently suspenseful’. Holly Britton achieved second place, with Megan Dawe earning third place. JJ Dayus-Jones and Evie Kenny received ‘Highly Commended’ awards from the judges. All winners will receive house points for their wonderful creations. Congratulations to all who entered and especially to our incredible winners. Extracts from first, second and third place are printed below.

• First Place: Daisy Cobern

“621.” People are often given nicknames like “Tilda” or “J-Dawg.” But a number…no one’s ever called a number, right? I want to tell you what happened, but it is certainly going to be hard. The pain. The deaths. I will have to back-track history to do so; I hope I am able to explain. I probably had a “real name” before, but if I did it has not stayed with me. I only have the memory of the Welsh mine and the choking dust that filled you and coated your lungs…

• Second Place: Holly Britton

Unexpected things always happen when you least expect them to, like the tragic event that changed my life forev-er…It was all a long time ago now, but there are still things that I don’t quite understand about those painful days…maybe I never did?

Yawning, my beloved parents tucked me neatly into bed. I was only 12 at the time, but, I must admit, pretty spoilt. I loved my parents dearly you see, and they meant the world to me. Even though I was 12, unlike most others my age, I still loved to be hugged by my parents as it sent a warm feeling down my spine: to be loved. I felt very lucky, but little did I know that, while I was sleeping, tragedy would tear my loving family apart…painfully, bit by bit…

• Third Place: Megan Dawe

Many years ago, something happened. I still don’t quite remember how it went. I will tell you what I can. I was a historian. I looked at Victorian things. One day, I went to look at an old house that was built in 1863. I don’t know why I did it. People had always said there was something strange about that house.

They were right…

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Extra Curricular & Club News Photoshop Club (All Years - Mondays 1.50-2.30pm in A3) This term in Photoshop Club students have been designing and creating their own custom T-shirts. Students chose a subject and then created either a front, back, or sleeve design in Photoshop. These designs were then printed on the school’s sublimation printer and will shortly be transferred onto the T-shirts using a heat press. The final de-signs show an inspired mix of computer game references, memes, TV shows and slogans, all of which look amazing - well done to you all! The next project at Photoshop Club will be to create and print a large format poster.

Cookery Club (Years 8 & 9 - Tuesdays 3.30-5.00pm) The chefs of Cookery Club have been very busy since Christmas, making various delicious dishes to enjoy in these wintry past few months; Sausage Casserole, Chicken and Leek Pies and Sweet Potato and Lentil Curry. As the weather turns towards Spring and we look forward to Easter our chefs are starting to make some picnic food items: Palmiers, Mini Pizzas, Apple Roses, Feta and Herb Pies and Easter Simnel Muffins. If you are interested in joining Cookery Club please see Mrs Statton.

GAS - Gardening and Sustainability Club (All Years - Tuesdays 2-2.30pm in S14) If you are interested in gardening and the School Garden, the environment, what you can do to be more

sustainable or if you are concerned about the climate change crisis, then come along to the GAS Club. We are currently working on what to plant in the garden and, weather dependent, we will soon be going out to prepare the garden and plant our seeds. The Green Team of Uffculme are keen to help out and hope to come and help

us prepare the garden ready for planting.

For any information on the GAS club please see Mrs Statton or Mrs Ballantyne.

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Duke of Edinburgh’s Award A record number of Uffculme School students were presented with their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award at this year’s annual Presentation Evening in January. Bronze awards were achieved by 76 students in Year 10, whilst 26 Year 11 students achieved their Silver Award. Several more pupils are expected to complete their award in the coming months.

To achieve an Award participants must complete requirements in four areas, by committing to a minimum number of hours over a given number of months (depending on the level of their Award). The four sections are physical, skill, volunteering and an overnight expedition. So far the current cohort of students have completed 1690 hours of a physical activity such as basketball, attending the gym and so on, 1859 hours of volunteering their time at charity shops, litter picking and helping at brownies and/or scouts, and 1794 hours learning a skill such as playing a musi-cal instrument or gardening.

A huge ‘Well Done!’ to all our Award achievers on their commitment, enthusiasm and teamwork, all of which we consider to be essential qualities for a participant. Twenty students have chosen to continue their DofE journey by signing up for their Silver Award; we look forward seeing their choices of activities and to presenting them with their Awards next year. - Mrs Purrington

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As a result of winning the Devon Schools Choir Competition in October last year, the Uffculme Choral Collective (UCC) had the fantastic experience of performing at the La La Choirs ‘Celebration of Life’ concert at Plymouth Guildhall on 6th December 2019.

Samantha Abrahams, Music Director of La La Choirs said “I am so delighted that the work of the music team at Uffculme School has been showcased today and that they have won and will be performing with us in December. The staff are obviously very dedicated and it really shone through at the final.”

Only five schools from across the county made it through to that final stage and we are very proud that Uffculme's singers rose to the occasion to win the coveted slot.

Well done to all those who took part; there were many compliments on the night and the feedback on the perfor-mance from La La Choirs was “An absolute triumph. Beautiful Christmas music, uplifting fun songs and all sung perfectly.”

It was an amazing evening with a huge £6909.73 raised for St Luke’s Hospice, Plymouth - well done to everyone who took part.

Aspire On Friday 28th February, Year 9 Aspire students met in The Venue for the first session for this year's ‘Money and Business’ project. The Year 9 Aspire group consists of twenty-eight students and the aim of this project is to give them an introduction to real-world finance and then to move on to the challenges and details of setting-up and running a small business. In this first session students considered what money is and how it is used before collating ideas in their groups on what the average family of four might cost to maintain. Context for this was given in the form of the cost of various basics and luxuries, such as a cup of tea costing around 40p versus approx. £4 for a single cup of takeaway coffee from a well-known outlet. In their groups, they then had to list the items and services they use in their household and try to cost them, coming up with a total figure for expenses per month.

The outcome was they felt the average monthly expenditure might amount to £3,930! Eyebrows were raised all round at this figure, although for some students it was the gross annual salary (£60,000) required that drove home how hard it might be to meet the monthly costs of running a hypothetical family of four. In the next session we'll be introducing the notions of budgeting and cash-flow. Nick Miles, a local businessman who is supporting and helping to lead this project was very positive about the session. He said it was “A thoroughly enjoyable 2 hours. The ideas and energy were infectious. I'm looking forward to seeing the students respond to the entrepreneurial challenge in a few weeks’ time!”

Uffculme Choral Collective (UCC)

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Holocaust Memorial Day On Wednesday 29th January, eight Year 9 students attended a Holocaust Memorial Day event in Exeter.

The evening commenced with a short lecture by Ed Pawson (Torbay RE Adviser) on 'The Path to Genocide'. With reference to the Nazis, Cambodia, Rwanda and other genocides, he explored the identifiable steps that concluded in each case with the horror of genocide. He appealed to the audience to be aware of media manipulation in to-day’s world, the classification of people and discrimination - and to unite against it.

Following this Derek Neimann delivered his fascinating account of how he discovered - by chance - his family's dark secret: that his grandfather had been an SS officer involved in auditing Nazi death camps and controlling slave labourers.

Derek determined to write a book to expose the lies and hatred that Nazism was built on. His search took him to Germany where he narrowly rescued several family photos taken during World War Two; these showed the luxury and security of the Neimann family home - juxtaposed with haunting and harrowing images from the death camps just a few miles away.

With compassion, humour and emotion, Derek shared accounts from his book, 'A Nazi in the Family'. He finished his talk with a heartfelt appeal to fight against prejudice and racism without exception in the hope that such evil actions are never repeated.

Mr Maddicks, who led the trip, was especially pleased with and would like to comment on the students' impeccable behaviour throughout the evening, which drew praise from members of the public who attended.

He also commented “Despite the late evening finish, the students remained in good spirits from the moment I collected them from school until we returned - thank you all.”

Below are some thoughts from our students about the event:

“It was a really interesting and educational visit and I learnt a lot from his message about peace today and how he works with families of Holocaust survivors despite such strikingly contrasting backgrounds. I didn’t really know what the Holocaust was before, but I learnt a lot about what happened. I found it very interesting because it wasn’t from the perspective of a British soldier, but had a lot about the SS and a Nazi’s perspective. It was a very good trip - thank you for taking us.”

“I really enjoyed hearing about the Holocaust from an angle not normally spoken about. It was very informative, with just enough wit to make this extremely tricky subject more bearable to talk about. Of course, Jewish families have been massively affected, but the descendants of SS officers often aren't thought about and the challenges they face in coming to terms with what their close ancestors did. I'm glad to have heard it and it has deepened my knowledge of the Holocaust and broadened my world view of the things discussed. I would like to thank Mr Maddicks for taking us.”

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“Salvation!” Candle Conference On Thursday 6th February, a group of Year 10 RE students had the opportunity to go to a “Salvation!” Candle Con-ference talk at Sexey’s School in Bruton. The talk, hosted by Peter Vardy, dealt with the GCSE topics ‘God’s Nature’, ‘Sin and Salvation’, ‘Life after Death’ and ‘Sanctity of Life’. Within these discussions, he interwove philosophical questions and theodicies that would help students to stand out from others and enable them to achieve higher grades at GCSE level. Vardy gave out several practice questions to complete, and taught students how to deal sen-sitively and evaluatively with statements that they may receive in their exams, as well as explaining how to achieve top band analysis in detail. This was taught through the acronym TRADE C, which stands for Thesis, Reasons, Agree, Disagree, Evaluate and Conclusion. He also provided several example answers within the booklet that all attendees received. These examples were thoroughly explained, and it was made clear where the answers gained marks and what made them stand out from others. Overall, the trip was extremely useful, and all the students that attended gained a useful insight into the development required to receive sevens, eights and nines in their GCSEs. - Miss Guy, Head of RE

In the last edition we included an article on Year 8's 'STEMfest' trip to Plymouth Marina. As part of that trip we have been fortunate to build links with Princess Yachts and have held workshops in school where some of our Year 8 students have been building our Uffculme School boat. This has been a fantastic insight into STEM careers and engineering, and to top it off one lucky student will get to sail our boat as part of the Mayflower Regatta held later in the year in Plymouth Marina! The first workshop was in December and we are having our second workshop on 9th March as part of National Science Week (more information on Science Week to follow in the Summer edition).

Science Dept/STEM

In February, some of our Year 11 students took a day trip to Bath to the annual GCSE Science Live show, where they had the opportunity to hear from famous scientists who we often see on the TV, such as Sir Robert Winston and Professor Jim Al-Khalili. They also received some helpful advice and exam tips from the Chief Examiner. It was a fantastic day and one which our students found informative and enjoyable.

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Personal Development Here at Uffculme School we have always recognised the importance of supporting our students with their academic progress but we also recognise that we have the opportunity to provide them with knowledge and skills they can use to stay safe, both whilst they are here and also in later life. We deliver these messages via assemblies, tutor activities and via our Personal Development programme. Up until July 2019 the PD programme was delivered to KS3 students via an effective carousel on a Monday lesson 5, but since September, in line with the new Government requirements, we have been working hard to extend that programme of study through to all our students in all year groups. It has been a busy time; here are a few highlights of the term so far!

We have long established links with local contacts so as part of the Year 8 carousel students have had the oppor-tunity to hold a mock trial with real magistrates! The aim was to help them understand legal structure and the law - see below for a review of the session from two of the students who participated. As well as this, as part of our Drugs and Alcohol Awareness sessions we have been visited by a local policeman, Detective Sergeant Bingham, who delivered a session explaining the laws regarding drugs and prevention strategies.

Year 8 Magistrates Visit - Caitlin Norsworthy and Madeleine Smith

“Recently, we had a visit from two Magistrates from Exeter as part of our Personal Development topic – Democracy. They first showed us a presentation about the roles of courts, including how a court deals with a case. They also showed us the seating arrangement within a court. Finally, they explained to us about what their job is - as part of their job they defend suspects within the court, and help to make vital decisions.

Then the Magistrates included us in a mock court scene role play. They taught us from different perspectives so we could fully understand a court situation. Everybody had a significant role; there was a suspect, three witnesses, a victim, a judge and some Magistrates. The victim believed that he was threatened with a knife by the suspect – a drunk man. We were shown some mock CCTV footage as part of evidence. The three witnesses shared what they thought they saw and from that we made our decision. We really enjoyed this experience as it was something new and it educated us to be careful in future life. It was an interesting session and we feel it has impacted our attitudes towards crime. We found it helpful how they included us in a fun, interactive role play instead of making us sit at a desk for an hour! We feel that this was a helpful experience and hope that it continues in the future PD sessions.”

You may be aware that the Government is starting to deploy a scheme throughout all secondary schools in the UK where all students will have access to free sanitary products, in a push to end period poverty. This has been availa-ble to some of our Pupil Premium students for a while now, but having the scheme open to all our students is excellent news! No young person should experience period poverty in 2020. The how and when of this scheme will follow over the coming months.

On January 21st a London theatre group visited us here at Uffculme and presented the play ‘Chelsea’s Choice’ to our students in Years 8 to 11. This was based on raising awareness of Child Sexual Exploitation and feedback shows how informative the session was for our students. It was hard hitting in places, but so key to ensuring all our students stay safe both online now and in the future. (Continued on next page)

‘Chelsea’s Choice’ performance

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On January 28th all students in Year 10 were off timetable for ‘Safety Day’ and attended sessions where they learnt basic first aid skills, had the opportunity to meet with people who had real experiences with gambling, drug and alcohol abuse as well as an important talk on how to stay safe in cars and on the road. The student feedback from this was brilliant and we hope to run this session again in the future.

Personal Development (continued)

And finally, a careers update – this has been a core strand of our school for years, linked to work experience, one-to-one careers advice and our Post 16 support and application process. We have strong links with Next Steps South West, so on March 2nd Year 10 students had the opportunity to attend a performance from the highly acclaimed Barbican Theatre of a production called ‘Why Would You’. The performance presented three relatable characters, each with their own unique concerns and motivations. Students were able to follow their journey through the edu-cation system, and begin to compare the staged scenarios with their own personal circumstances, covering issues such as perceptions of peers and other influencers, qualification levels, funding, accommodation and more. This was a highly relatable event for our students and has prompted a lot of thinking about careers, academic choices and how this impacts later in life.

The programme of activities is ongoing; we are always ensuring we stay current and this important programme in our school would not be possible without the huge support from all the tutors and staff here at Uffculme - thank you all. - Mrs Reed, Head of PD

Year 10 Safety Day

‘Why Would You’ performance

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Here are some of the ideas that came out of this study: Find activities that distract you Loneliness is often temporary. Getting involved in activities that focus your attention and take up your time can help ease the painful feelings until they pass. This could be studying, paid or volunteer work or getting involved in a hobby or sport. There are plenty of opportunities, both in and out of school that you can have a go at. It does not have to involve other people. It just needs to be a distraction, so you don’t notice the time passing.

Join a club or take up new social activities and pastimes You have probably heard this one before. It is not for everyone, but it can help you to meet people that share a similar interest. You might not meet your BFF, but you might find a couple of people that you feel comfortable spending time with and have some things in common with. If you think that chatting to people you don’t know will be difficult for you, then choose something where you can join the activity side by side such as a choir or a craft class where you work alongside other people.

Talk to friends, family or a trusted adult about your feelings Telling someone that you feel lonely may help. People around you may not realise that you feel this way and may be able to help you come up with ways to manage those feelings.

Look for the good in every person you meet Some people may feel more lonely because they think that other people are not trust-worthy or don’t want to be around them. If you think someone has snubbed you, look really hard at the evidence for whether this is true and then think about alternative reasons for why you think they have snubbed you. Maybe they were busy or tired or perhaps feeling sad or nervous themselves. It may have been nothing to do with you!

Take time to think why you feel lonely People are lonely for different reasons. Some are physically isolated, others experience discrimination, some find it hard to trust people, while others didn’t know where to find like-minded people. Working out why you feel lonely is a first step to working out which solution might work for you. And if one solution doesn’t work, it’s worth trying another.

Carry on and wait for the feeling to pass Loneliness is often temporary, so this will work for some people. The BBC survey found that many people who have felt lonely discovered that waiting for the feeling to pass worked. This shows that many feelings of loneliness do disappear over time.

Invite people to do things without fearing rejection It’s good to ask people to do things with you. Everyone wants to think that other people like them and most are pleased when they’re invited to something. But try not to feel afraid of them saying no. If they say they are busy that day, they probably are. Don’t assume that they’re just avoiding you.

Not every solution will work for everyone. If one thing doesn’t work, try something different.

Uffculme School Student Welfare Services

Student Welfare Coping with Loneliness We often imagine a lonely person to be older, maybe someone who is retired, who has lost their husband or wife and lives alone. But this image is misleading. Research suggests that young people are more likely to be lonely than older people. And in our school community, where many of our young people live in rural communities with poor or no public transport, loneliness can be a real problem.

In 2018 the BBC carried out the Loneliness Experiment. This was in collaboration with the Wellcome Collection and devised by psychologists from the University of Manchester, the University of Exeter and Brunel University London. More than 55,000 people, aged 16 years and over, took part in the study - making it the largest ever study into the issue of loneliness. The study found that levels of loneliness were highest for those aged 16 to 25 with 40% feeling lonely, compared with only 29% of those in the 65 to 75 age range. The younger group also indicated that they felt loneliness more intensely and more frequently than the older age groups. The study also asked respondents for ideas of how to combat loneliness.

This is an edited version of ‘9 Ways to Feel Less Lonely’ by Claudia Hammond. The full version can be found on the BBC website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3nDZXgD7Fz7lBGc3YSQV9jr/nine-ways-to-feel-less-lonely

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Uffculme School Student Welfare Services

Student Welfare Talking to your child about how they’re feeling can be hard. By taking 20 minutes with them to do an activity you’ll both enjoy, you’ll create a relaxed space to start that conversation.

Here are some ideas for #Take20 activities that you could do in 20 minutes - for more ideas visit the YoungMinds website at https://youngminds.org.uk/starting-a-conversation-with-your-child/20-activities-for-20-minutes

1: Play a ball game - Football, catch, basketball, dodgeball… there are endless ball games to choose from. You don’t need a court to play - just a garden, or a green space and a ball.

2: Ready, set… bake - Baking is a great way to have fun together and there are so many 20-minute bakes to choose from. Keep it simple with fairy cakes, scones, traybakes or energy balls.

3: Take a walk - Sometimes taking 20 minutes is as simple as taking a walk, whether it’s through nearby country-side, to the shops or around the block with the family dog.

4: The ‘five things’ game - An easy one for you if you’re on the move, challenge one another to name five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste.

5: Put on your dancing shoes - If your child loves to dance, let their feet do the talking. Ask them to pick out their favourite song and dance like you mean it!

6: Go for a drive - Car journeys are a great opportunity for 20 minutes with your child. Encourage them to leave their phone for a while, turn down the radio and strike up a conversation.

7: Explore together - When was the last time you explored somewhere new together? Stick a pin on a map some-where nearby that neither of you have been to and try your best to get there!

8: Flex those green fingers - Sow some seeds and watch them grow together! Begin with seedlings on the win-dowsill and watch them propagate before moving them into window pots or even the garden.

9: Yoga time - Designed around controlled movement and breathing techniques, yoga is an easy one to do at home together. Grab a bit of floor space and give it a go!

10: Twenty-minute crafts - There are so many crafts you can do in 20 minutes. You could paint a plant pot, make a friendship bracelet, try origami, create a photo collage or make a musical shaker.

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On Wednesday 15th January, Uffculme School held a 'Save Australia!' fundraising event. Students and staff alike brought in cash donations with the hope of completely filling a map of Australia with coins and notes. Thanks to the generosity of all involved, this idea was a success and every square inch of the map was covered! The initial desire to hold this fundraising event was completely driven by Uffculme School students - in particular Theo McGoldrick in Year 8, who instigated the fundraiser. Staff and parents alike were keen to get involved but would like to highlight how proud we all are of the students' passionate interest in helping with this terrible disaster, and impressed by their initiative in starting the process themselves. The total raised from the event was £750 - this was split equally between The Australian Red Cross and the World Wildlife Fund and will be used to support the peo-ple and wildlife of those areas affected by the bushfires.

HUGE congratulations to Louisa Gibbins, who has been selected to join the U15 Basketball England Talent Pro-gramme after an outstanding year of development for her and her basketball training. She currently represents Uffculme School in the U14 and U16 teams and recently played in the England Basketball Dynamik National Schools Competition with both teams, helping them into the last 32 and last 16 respectively.

Louisa also represents Exeter Spartans Basketball club which plays in the National League. Over the season she has developed her skills fantastically and is currently averaging 14 points and 14 rebounds per game.

The England Talent Programmes (ETP) are designed to provide players and coaches with opportunities to come together, train and compete against other nations with the basic aim of exposing English talent to as many different playing styles and conditions as possible prior to potential Great Britain selection.

Louisa will now travel to the National Performance Centre to attend a selection camp with the other players selected for the Programme. Should she be successful in making the full England squad she will then go on to represent her country in a number of tournaments over the summer, including tournaments in Nottingham and Hungary.

Mr Carpanini, PE teacher and basketball coach, said "This is a fantastic achievement for Louisa and the school is incredibly proud of her progress; she is the first player from Uffculme to ever be selected for the England Talent Pro-gramme. She is working extremely hard to get better at each session and performing really well in games due to her outstanding attitude and effort. We look forward to seeing the progress that she makes in the future."

Well done Louisa!

Student Achievements

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Student Achievements

Congratulations to Amarae Whiteman, Isabel Walker and Amelie

Ewings who represented Uffculme School in the U13 South West

Schools’ Milano Team gymnastic competition at the end of January.

The girls performed an acrobatic trio routine, an individual floor routine

and a vault.

They gave an impressive perfor-mance and came away with 3rd place

and a bronze medal. The girls have since competed again in the South West BSGA Floor and Vault finals

against very stiff competition; they achieved some great scores and made improvements all round.

Congratulations to Gabriel Pears on passing his Grade 2 Piano exam with lots of practise and pure determination. Well done Gabriel!

Congratulations to Tula Rimmer who has had a busy time recently playing Water Polo around the country, including playing in Exeter’s U13 mixed water polo team in a tournament in Plymouth. Tula scored a hat trick in the final game which won her

the silver medal.

She also represented Devon in an inter-county tournament held at Millfield School, Street. This came down to a final match against Gloucester for the Gold medal.

Lastly she represented the South West in the U14 girls team in a competition against regional teams from across England, along with national teams from Scotland, Wales and Ireland. No medal this time, but the South West girls managed a very creditable

7th position overall. Well done Tula!

Congratulations to Ewan Harkness-Moore, Evie Wakefield, Eloise Frost, Nirius McDade, Liriel McDade, Mia Hammond and Isabelle Margetts on achieving amazing results in their LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts) Acting, Verse & Prose, Devising, Musical Theatre and Shakespeare exam. These exams were taken

at the end of November after the students completed the LAMDA Drama and Speech Sessions offered by Vocal Arts. Well done to you all!

Congratulations to all those students who took part in the Outdoor Pursuits Climbing 4 Week Course and have now achieved their NICAS Level 1 Climbing Awards. Well done to you all!

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Student Achievements

Congratulations to Anna Cole who passed her Grade 5 Music Theory exam with Distinction

before Christmas.

This follows Anna passing her Grade 5 piano exam last year, also with Distinction.

Well done Anna!

Congratulations to Megan Trott on being awarded the

Devon Leading Maiden Award for 2019 at the Brit-ish Show Jumping Devon Area Awards – the criteria for receiving this perpetual award is to be the female

junior British show jumping member to have obtained the most rider gold league

points in 2019.

Megan was also presented with the Devon Academy Rising Star Shield for her

commitment and attitude, making it a rewarding 2019

- Well done Megan!

Congratulations to Kaitlin Trott on receiv-ing an award for being one of the top 5 most

consistent Devon-based British show jumping

combinations for 2019 with her pony Alfie.

This was presented by Anne Newbury, the South West regional

development officer for British show jumping, at the British Show Jump-ing Devon Area Awards

in January.

Well done Kaitlin!

Congratulations to Rose Smyth on quali-fying for 11 events at the County

Swimming Championships as a result of competing in many events throughout

2019.

The championships started in January and Rose competed in 3 events: 100m back-

stroke, 50m breaststroke, and 100m free-style.

She achieved personal bests in all her races and qualified in the top 8 to reach the finals of the 100m backstroke and

50m breaststroke. Rose came 8th in the 50m breaststroke and 3rd in the 100m

backstroke - a phenomenal achievement.

She also swam times which will be consid-ered for the regional championships later

in the year. Well done Rose!

Congratulations to Jess Swanston who repre-

sented Uffculme School at the Devon Schools

Cross Country at Stover.

Jess came in 6th in the Inter Girls category and

will now represent Devon in the next stage

at Bournemouth.

Well done Jess!

Congratulations to John Merrick who has gained a Distinction in

his Acoustic Guitar Exam Grade 4.

Well done John!

Congratulations to Joe Cobern on passing his Grade B Guitar Exam with Distinction, scoring 93%. An amazing achievement in the middle of revision for GCSE Mocks and given that he

has only been playing Bass for 3 years. Well Done Joe!

Congratulations to Evie Wakefield who has achieved a Distinction in her

Grade 5 Musical Theatre exam.

Well done Evie!

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Student Achievements

Congratulations to Ciaran Handforth who was recently awarded Junior Sailor of the

Year at The Exe Sailing Club’s Presentation evening in Exmouth.

He was particularly commended for his enthusiasm, his ability to adapt to chang-

ing sailing conditions and his helpful attitude toward his fellow sailors.

Ciaran has won a number of dinghy regattas in his first year and has also been recruited as crew in the competitive senior yacht series for the forthcoming season.

Well done Ciaran!

Congratulations to Charlie Birchall for

passing his Youth First Aid qualification with

RAF cadets 41f squadron, Taunton.

This was obtained after 19 hours training over

one weekend.

Well done for commit-ting so much of your own time to such a great qualification

Charlie!

Congratulations to Ethan Wall for being the first student in Year 7 to complete the 8B48 Reading

Challenge and earn his badge!

He has read 8 books, including novels, poetry and non-

fiction titles.

Well done Ethan!

Congratulations to the Year 7 Dance Team on recently winning the East Devon

Schools Competition Qualifier with a fantastic

performance.

Having qualified, they will now go on to compete at the Devon School Games.

Well done and good luck to you all!

Congratulations to the U16 boys football squad who recently qualified for the semi final of the Exeter & East Devon Schools

Tournament. Well done and good luck to you all!

Congratulations to those students who participated in the local heats for the 2020 Rotary Young Musician of the Year Awards.

A special mention to Hermione Hunt and JJ Dayus-Jones whose excellent performances

have won them each a spot representing Devon Rotary at the regional heats for this

event - well done and good luck to you both!

Congratulations to Ellie Mickley who has passed her

Grade 5 Acoustic Guitar exam with Merit. She worked really hard to achieve this grade, so

is very pleased.

Ellie also opened the Cul-lompton Christmas Festival back in November with a 30 minute gig playing Christmas songs to get everyone in the

Christmas Spirit.

Well Done Ellie!

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Summer 2020