Cliffhanger | May 2015 | page 1 A newsletter for parents, students and the local community May 2015 News from the Principal Year 11 GCSE examinations are now under way and students have been making use of the extra support that has been offered by their teachers in lessons. Booster sessions have been introduced for all students the day before their exam, delivered by subject specialists. These have been well received by all the students who have commented about how useful they have been to focus on key aspects of the exam just before it takes place. It has, however, been stressed to them that these should complement their revision programme and that they should not use them as an alternative to focused work at home in preparation for each exam. All teaching staff have supported each other to facilitate this programme of boosters, covering colleagues where required so as to minimise the disruption to other year groups. Students in other year groups have also been very understanding in the way in which they are moving around the academy during this crucial time for our Year 11s. To aid the examination process, the whole academy has been having an earlier lunch (12.25 – 1pm), which is helping to reduce the level of noise and the amount of movement around the academy in the afternoon. I have been really impressed by the manner in which Year 11 students have conducted themselves so far. Students seem well prepared and have used all the time given to complete their papers – this is always a good sign as it indicates they have been making good use of their time to ensure they feel confident in attempting all questions set. Examinations continue after
Transcript
Cliffhanger | May 2015 | page 1
A newsletter for parents, students and the local community May 2015
News from the Principal
Year 11 GCSE examinations are now under way and students have been making use of the extra support that has been offered by their teachers in lessons.
Booster sessions have been introduced for all students the day before their exam, delivered by subject specialists. These have been well received by all the students who have commented about
how useful they have been to focus on key aspects of the exam just before it takes place. It has, however, been stressed to them that these should complement their revision programme and that they should not use them as an alternative to focused work at home in preparation for each exam.
All teaching staff have supported each other to facilitate this programme of boosters, covering colleagues where required so as to minimise the disruption to other year groups. Students in other year groups have also been very understanding in the way in which they are moving around the academy during this crucial time for our Year 11s. To aid the examination process, the whole academy has been having an earlier lunch (12.25 – 1pm), which is helping to reduce the level of noise and the
amount of movement around the academy in the afternoon. I have been really impressed by the manner in which Year 11 students have conducted themselves so far. Students seem well prepared and have used all the time given to complete their papers – this is always a good sign as it indicates they have been making good use of their time to ensure they feel confident in attempting all questions set.
Examinations continue after half term with the second Foundation Maths exam (Thurs June 4th) and Higher Maths exams (4th June and 8th June), plus exams in History, Geography, German, Science, Dance, Film Studies, Media, Graphics and Statistics. During half term, revision sessions will take place at the academy every day including the first
weekend and the bank holiday Monday. A separate letter has been sent home to Year11 parents detailing when they are due to take place. Predicted grades indicate that if the students perform to their best, the academy could achieve a pleasing set of results, enabling all students to progress onto further education or employment.
Progress Reports
All Year 7 and 8 students received their fourth progress report this week, detailing teachers’ assessment of their current effort grades and predicted end of year KS3 levels. I am particularly keen to receive feedback from parents
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and students regarding this type of report, especially any suggestions for other information we can provide to parents and students. I hope parents find it useful to track their child’s effort regularly over an eight week period as well as being able to compare this score with the year group average. We feel this system of reporting provides parents with more relevant and regular information and is more useful than written comments that do not always indicate clearly how performance can really be maintained or enhanced. All students in Years 9 and 10 will receive their fourth report during the week beginning 15th June.
Art / Design & Technology Exhibition
Year 11 GCSE Art, Technology and BTEC Art work has been put on display around the Art and Technology rooms following completion of their exam, along with their preparation work. I have been really impressed by the standard of work displayed and it has drawn many positive comments from visitors to the academy over recent days. It also allows other students to see the high standard of work completed. An exhibition of the students’ work was staged on Wednesday 20th May from 4.30pm to 6.30pm. It was pleasing to see parents, friends, ex-students and members of the community comment favourably with regard to the high standard of work produced. Images of some of the amazing art work will be featured within this newsletter.
In partnership with governors, the whole academy improvement plan is being rewritten. The plan focuses upon key issues raised in our most recent external assessment report and findings from the September OAT Review, as well as through a full self-
evaluation of the academy’s work led by myself and the two Vice Principals. Detailed plans for further improvement will be developed for each of the 4 key areas – Achievement, Teaching, Behaviour and Safety and Leadership / Management, including governance.
I would like to thank staff at the academy for their determined response to the high expectations that have been placed upon them. We are confident that with our sustained work with partners, we will be able to show evidence of continued improvement across all aspects of the academy’s work.
Outside School Learning Activities
Mr King and other PE staff have been kept very busy and have been involved in a wide range of sporting activities organised outside of the academy day. Our teams continue to participate successfully against other schools in a wide range of sports. It is really pleasing to see the number of students that are
regularly engaging in extra-curricular sport as well as other activities on offer, especially the enrichment clubs reported on within this newsletter. Sporting activities take place before school every morning during the week and include traditional sports like tennis and cricket as well as more diverse activities such as climbing and the use of our aspire fitness gym. I continue to be impressed by the achievements of our student coaches working with Miss Biven’s in her role as the ‘Children’s Coach’. The impact of their work on increasing self-confidence and self-esteem with the younger pupils from our feeder schools is incredible and is quite rightly receiving national acclaim.
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Uniform
I would like to ask for your continued support in ensuring that your son or daughter arrives at Cliff Park Ormiston Academy wearing the correct uniform. I would ask for your support in ensuring that they do not wear an alternative top to the school blazer over their normal shirt and tie.
Final thoughts…
An exciting final half term awaits and I look forward to continued success being achieved by our students through their school work, in sporting events with other schools and within our local community.
R. Sherington
Principal
26 OAT academies join Battlefields TourOn Sunday 22nd March, two students and a staff member from 26 Ormiston academies headed off on the four day OAT Battlefields Tour.
We were incredibly lucky to take a private tour commissioned just for our family of academies. The tour offered free spaces for the students and teachers was run by the UCL Institute of
Education and school tour operator Equity, part of Inspiring Learning.
Over the course of the visit, the staff and students visited a wide variety of cemeteries, museums and memorials to those who fell. They were accompanied by tour guides and current serving soldiers to provide information and context.
At the end of day two, the group visited Menin Gate in Ypres, for the Last Post Ceremony, with four students selected by draw to lay wreaths at the gate.
Before the off, students and staff had undertaken research into local soldiers and family members to help guide their trip, but as they visited more sites and learnt more, they developed further ideas for projects.
The projects that they work on now will serve to create a legacy, with videos, blogs, BBC School Reports, newspaper articles and talks to their local communities and primary schools.
The trip has been powerful and moving, with students and staff finding relatives in cemeteries and on memorials and reflecting on what they had given up for them. In some ways the diversity of our group and the fact that they have come together from all over England for one mission echoes the gravestones which show that in times of war class, religion and home town were irrelevant.
This is a profound experience for our youngsters and it was fantastic to see them all working and getting on so well as part of the OAT family.
The First World War saw 37 million soldiers die or wounded, a million of these came from the commonwealth countries. Every community or family was affected, including mine.
I was therefore delighted to be invited to this amazing opportunity, to explore the facts and reflect upon the emotions of war. Both myself, Morven Goff (Year 9 student), and Daniel Powell (Year 7) were chosen to represent the academy on a trip where one teacher and two students from every Ormiston Academy in the country went to visit and study the battlefields of The Great War.
The first day, after a long journey, we arrived at Kingswood, Kent. At Kingswood we participated in some activities, which included: Jacob’s Ladder and different assault courses. We took part in these activities for teamwork building, as we didn’t know anyone else there. We also had the opportunity to look at artefacts from the war ranging from guns and bullets to tobacco cases. Our last task of the day was to research a soldier who lived in our area.
On the second day we travelled from Kent down to the Eurotunnel. We arrived in France and travelled for around two hours to get to our first site in Belgium: Tyne-cot.
Tyne-cot, a British Commonwealth cemetery was built on the site of a major battle. The graves are all lined up to represent soldiers on parade where they are all looking towards the cross of sacrifice. It was at this cemetery that we found our local soldier: W.J.N Best. He lived at 79 Springfield Road, Gorleston and was only 28 when he was killed in battle, fighting for his country.
After Tyne-cot we went on to visit Langemark cemetery, a German cemetery. In the middle of was a mass grave containing the bodies of 24917
named soldiers and 7977 unknown men. In addition to this there were graves with up to 10 names listed on headstones; a stark comparison to the Commonwealth sites.
In the evening we went to the Menin Gate in Ypres. This is a monument that marks those soldiers that do not have a grave who fought in battles around Ypres. A bugler played the Last Post and then the whole gate stood in silence for 2 minutes; this was amazing as there were around 1000 people gathered to watch the service. This gave me the opportunity to
remember the men who fought, including my great great uncle Lancelot Horner. His name is inscribed upon the wall of the gate and I laid a cross beneath it to show my respect. After the silence, Daniel was selected to lay a wreath with a student from Ormiston Rivers Academy on behalf of all of the Ormiston Academies staff and students.
The third day saw us travel to France to a memorial of the Newfoundland soldiers called Beaumont-Hamel. This memorial was dedicated to the Canadians who fought at this section of the battle of the Somme. There were preserved trenches we could walk through and the land was untouched so we could see the bomb craters and barbed wire. We were really
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lucky to see what it would have been like for the soldiers.
After Beaumont Hamel we went to the imposing Thiepval memorial; this had the names of 72000 soldiers who have unknown graves.
On one side of the cemetery there are French soldiers and the other is British and Commonwealth. Once again the graves that were there were lined up as if on parade towards the cross of sacrifice. This memorial was particularly poignant as most of these men all died on 1st July 1916.
We then went on to visit Pheasant Wood; which is a new cemetery dedicated to Australian soldiers. Only 144 of these graves are known and 89 are of unknown Australian men. Some of the graves had very emotional messages along the bottom as they have managed to get in contact with the living relatives of the men.
An example of this is ‘step softly, a dream lies here.’
A current soldier who has fought in Iraq and Afghanistan showed us the difference in equipment from World War One compared to now. He talked about how British forces don’t think of World War One as a waste of life but they use if for all of the lessons they learnt about warfare and weaponry.
This trip was an amazing opportunity and I loved every minute. There were upsetting and humbling moments as the loss and death came fully into perspective, but there were fun times and we got to meet lots of new people and make new friends from across the country. We are now looking forward to our 110 legacy project, so watch this space.
Morven Goff-9JTA
James Paget ProjectStudents from Ormiston Venture Academy and Cliff Park Ormiston Academy have been researching about the life James Paget and Life in Victorian Great Yarmouth. They have been challenged with the task of creating an interactive exhibition about the results of their visits and research. Their research has taken them to various places around the town; The Time and Tide Museum, “I liked the smell.”
Great Yarmouth Library- “I think the digital micro readers are so cool!” And the Elizabethan House Museum.
They also had a guided heritage walk around the old rows of the town with local historians from Great Yarmouth Archaeological and Historical Society.
One student said “I will never see Yarmouth the same way again.”
Of the water recycling works in Caister one
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said, “ I learnt that bugs eat our sewage. “
They have been to the James Paget Hospital where they have seen artefacts, letters and portraits of the surgeon who was born just over two hundred years ago.
They have also been to the science museum in London to see how an interactive museum display is set up and met with one of the country’s top designers.
Friday May 8th saw the culmination of weeks of research and exploration come together.
Four groups of students presented their design ideas for an exhibition to a Dragon’s Den style panel of judges at Great Yarmouth library. They collected and managed their ideas with an interactive designer called Paul Clifford who stated, ‘There seemed to be heaps of creative energy and ideas.’ Paul guided them and helped them to develop their imagination. At the end of the first day they emerged looking tired but happy giving the thumbs up.
The final day saw all four groups’ presentations in the style of Dragon’s Den, with a panel of judges. Expectations and excitement were running high and all four groups managed to carry off the demonstration of their museum display with aplomb.
Four completely different and highly interactive ideas were explained to the panel, who had the difficult task of choosing which design ideas would be
turned into reality. This will take place in the coming months and all students will help make this happen. Well done to all 11 from CPOA and the students from Ormiston Venture Academy who have joined forces for the duration of this exciting project.
1940s Dance
On Saturday, 16th May, Cliff Park held its first ever 1940s dance evening, hosted by the fantastic Baker Boy Collective. The night was a great success with some amazing dancing on show. Everyone who attended this community event was dressed in 1940s attire, creating a great atmosphere. Well done to the Friends of Cliff Park for organising this event, raising £175.Thank-you to Tesco for donating tea, coffee and cakes for the evening. For more information on the Baker Boy Collective, check out their Facebook page or listen in to Harbour Radio.
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Duke of EdinburghEighteen Year Eleven students discovered they could have fun 'getting back to nature' in the beautiful North Norfolk countryside. They were backpacking for the expedition section of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme. They cooked delicious meals on camping stoves such as 'fry ups’ and pasta surprise. They experienced the joy of washing up burnt pans in cold water and being awoken by the dawn chorus. The Year Ten's will be following in their footsteps shortly as they are doing their practice expedition at the end of May. They have all been making good use of the equipment kindly funded by the Friends of Cliff Park and would like to thank them for their support.
Healthy Schools Award“Pupil health and wellbeing lies at the heart of promoting positive outcomes for children and young people. I was therefore delighted to visit Cliff Park Ormiston Academy today to present their Healthy School Award in recognition of their ongoing commitment to pupil health and wellbeing. In addition, I was privileged to present them with the prestigious Enhanced Healthy Schools Award to celebrate the focused work they have committed to achieving to support their Young Carers. Congratulations Cliff Park Ormiston Academy on your well-deserved achievements” - Josie Wells (Healthy Norfolk Schools-East Coast Community Healthcare).
Sutton Scholars Trip to Cambridge
On Tuesday 21st April, a group of eight year 9 students taking part in the Sutton Scholars programme spent a day at Peterhouse College in Cambridge. They joined with students from other schools to experience college life and get a taste of studying at university.
The morning was spent taking part in group workshops and going on a tour of the college and city led by current undergraduate students. Everybody was impressed by the grandeur of Cambridge and enjoyed listening to stories about famous alumni, student life and the history of the university. This was followed by lunch in the grand setting of the refectory where the pupils enjoyed chatting with Cambridge students and soaking in the atmosphere of the seventeenth century architecture.
There was some time to relax in the beautiful college gardens before an afternoon of sample lectures by enthusiastic postgraduate research students. The first of the talks discussed the role of DNA in scientific research and explained some of the ways in which it might be used to advance medical technology. The second lecture covered the topic of geology, which was new to many of the students and explored what rocks can tell us about our planet and how the study of it is useful in the modern world.
The group is looking forward to their next excursion to University College London which will take place in June.
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City Enterprise LinkThis Year, Cliff Park Ormiston Academy have teamed up with the Norwich City Community Sports Foundation in delivering an enterprise programme for Year 8 and 9 students. This programme has tasked the students with the challenge of organising and delivering a charity event by the end of this academic year. Both groups have decided that they will be holding stalls at the Academy's Summer Fair and are battling against each other in order to raise the most.
On the 6th of May, Miss Jackson and Mr Banham took the students along to Carrow Road where they met with students from other schools and academies in the area in order to talk through their plans and compare ideas. As part of the event, the students had a tour of the stadium and met with Club Chairman David McNally and Gavin Drake.
Well done to all of the students involved and we look forward to seeing your stalls at this year's Summer Fair on Saturday the 27th June.
Awesome Ashley off to India!Out of only 30 places in the UK for young people, in recognition of her work with The Children's Coach, our Young Mentor Awesome Ashley has received a 3 week scholarship to India in the summer through Free the Children. She will be building a school, learning leadership skills and cultural awareness.
When I wrote her reference I was reminded of the journey Ashley has had, from a child who lacked self-esteem when she attended our
programmes when she was 10 years old, to a confident leader at 16.
The level of commitment Awesome Ashley has given to our organisation and the young people we work with over the years as a mentor has been outstanding....a
minimum 7 hours a week for 5 years!
As she was taking her GCSE's this year she
said 'I want to stretch myself to show what I can achieve'...so together we walked on fire, Awesome Ashley broke an arrow with her neck, and now it’s off to India! An inspirational and committed young lady, we know she is going to have
APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN TO JOIN OUR YOUNG MENTORING TEAM!
We are opening up the opportunity to join our Young Mentor Team for two applicants! You need to have taken one of our programmes at Junior School (The Excellence Academy, Reach for the Stars, Moving on Up) and be willing to dedicate your time to our nationally acclaimed team for a host of rewards! If you are interested in being considered, please write a note detailing your name, form, which programme you were involved in, a little about you and the special skills that you could bring to the team. Please take to Miss Butcher in the Key Stage Three Office and ask for it to be passed to Miss Bivens. We look forward to hearing from you!
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an amazing time and make such a difference to others during and after this superb experience.
Ski Trip, Tonale 2015Easter 2015, saw 31 students from across the academy enjoy a ‘tough week’ on the slopes. The resort ranged from 1800m – 3100m in altitude, with all students at some point heading up the Paradiso Glacier and witnessing some breathtaking views and fantastic skiing.
Split between 2 snowboarding groups and 3 skiing groups we were supplied with enthusiastic and highly experienced ski leaders and instructors both from TM Ski and the Italian ski school. Students progressed rapidly with their skiing and boarding covering all the ski runs in the Tonale resort. Apres ski activities included Pizza night, disco night and presentation night to name but a few. All students and staff had a great time.
I have met with TM Ski & Travel regarding the 2016 Ski Trip and will have some information to distribute in the near future.
Mr Hunter
Every Little HelpsBag Packing at Tesco
On Saturday 9th May 2015 the Year 9 and Year 10 netball squad gave up their time to help raise fund for the new netball dresses for next season.
The event was a great success, raising over £200. Well done to all those who participated on the day who were a credit to the academy.
Modern Foreign LanguagesMrs Ribery-Doyle is looking for a family to
host our new German Language Assistant. The room will be needed from the end of September to the end of May
2016. You can charge up to £250 pcm all inclusive. If you are interested please e-
