Teesdale School News

School wins EU funding for Bulgarian link

2010-07-12T10:11:00.000+01:00

Teesdale School in Barnard Castle heard this week that it had been successful in a bid for EU funding to support a link with a school in Bulgaria. The funding will enable students from Teesdale, who are following the Construction course, to work with Bulgarian students on a building project over the next two years. The partner school is in Koprivshtitsa, a small rural town which is famous for its old buildings and the use of traditional materials in construction. Teesdale School was one of 32 schools in the UK and the only school in the North-East to be awarded this grant.
The link between the schools follows an approach from Craig Harper, a former student of Teesdale, who now lives and works in Bulgaria. Craig was aware that the school in Koprivshtitsa was looking for an English school to work with and that Teesdale School held an International Award. Subsequent discussions led to both schools agreeing a partnership which has now been awarded a Comenius grant from the EU.
The grant means that 12 students from Teesdale will visit Bulgaria in October. They will be looking with their Bulgarian counterparts at developing construction techniques using traditional and renewable materials. The Bulgarian students will then return to Teesdale in April next year where they will be accommodated at the Hub and will work on a similar project over here.
Commenting in the award, Headteacher, Paul Harrison said: ‘This is great news. Most overseas trips tend to focus on languages but this project is unique. It will enable our Construction students, some of whom do not have opportunities to travel, to explore a different culture and learn about traditional methods used in Eastern Europe. We also hope that it will raise their awareness of the need for people in the Construction industry to work in other countries or alongside other nationalities.’
Contact Paul Harrison 01833 638166

Successful Cricket Team

2010-05-20T14:11:00.000+01:00

Teesdale School’s Year 7/8 boys Cricket team won the area Inter Cricket tournament at Bishop Auckland Cricket Club recently and will now represent South West Durham at the County Championship on the 1st July. The venue is yet to be decided.

Names –

Ben Robinson
Ian Foster
Adam Dent
William Heathcote
Adam Lee Shield
Sam Gilding
Jamie McDougal
James White
Jack Walker

Belgium Battlefields 2010

2010-05-12T09:40:00.000+01:00

At the beginning of April, 50 Year 9 students from Teesdale School took part in the annual Humanities Faculty visit to the First World War Battlefields of Flanders and the Somme. They spent time looking at many memorials and museums in and around the Belgium towns of Diksmuide and Ypres together with the famous sites of Beaumont Hamel, Thiepval, Lochnagar and Vimy Ridge in the Somme.

On the final evening the school were again given the honour of laying a wreath during the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate. The students who took part in this ceremony were Connor Davies, Natasha Holland, Amy Metcalfe who laid the wreath, Jake Sowersby and Cleo O’Callaghan-Yeoman. All five students had researched evidence of relatives who had fallen in the areas visited and were deeply moved by the whole experience.

Stars of Teesdale Shine Brightly

2010-05-11T09:40:00.000+01:00

A galaxy of talent shone brightly at the Stars of Teesdale show held at Teesdale School. During a hugely enjoyable evening a wildly enthusiastic audience was entertained by singers, comedians, dancers and a rock band.

The brightest star of the evening was Anna Stainton who scooped the first prize of £100 with a stunning rendition of a Christina Aquilera song. Singer songwriter Pippa Waite wowed the judges to come second with a gutsy performance of original material. Comedy duo Matthew Charlton and Luke Morris won 3rd prize for a hilarious routine that included more than one sick joke! A Wild Card prize was awarded to comperes Tom Wood and Jack Parker whose entertaining banter kept the audience amused in between acts.

Other outstanding acts included Laura Hall who played piano and sang in a style reminiscent of Kate Nash and Sara Kelly who did an excellent cover of Adele's From My Hometown. A rock band called Surveillance finished the show, playing with panache the aptly titled Teenage Kicks.

The show got off to a great start with Margaret Newlands' cover of Owl City's Fireflies. Jade Hawlor did a creditable version of Amy Winehouse's Valerie. Bringing a rockier edge to the proceedings, Chad Blackmore and Aidan Hewitt both chose Nickleback songs. Jessica Holmes and Abby Kent delighted with their dance routine while Beth Wood and Emily Allinson launched a promising comedy act. Bradley Jackson and Liam Sampson had the audience singing and swaying to their Westlife cover. Tess Bettison gave a confident singing performance that bodes well for the future while Maddy Cooper and Bethany Harle were also audience favourites with their version of Lean on Me.

Peter Dixon, Station Manager of Radio Teesdale and one of the panel of judges, said 'I go to see several shows a week but this was the most entertaining evening I've had for a long time.'

Andy Yeadon from TCR and another member of the panel said 'As judges, we had a very difficult time selecting the winners from such a lot of great acts. One thing I'm sure of though is that we definitely saw a future Peter Kay here tonight.'

The talent show was the brainchild of Emma Withill, music teacher at the school and was organised in conjunction with the school's PTA. Chair of the PTA, Mick Brennan, said 'This was a superb evening made possible by the combined effort of teachers, parents and students. It typifies the spirit and energy of the school and demonstrated the amazing array of talent in our midst. Simon Cowell eat your heart out!'

In the picture are the winners Anna Stainton (1st) Pippa Waite (2nd) and comedy duo Matthew Charlton and Luke Morris (3rd) ; Judges are Jackie Moody (Teacher) Peter Dixon (Radio Teesdale) Andy Yeadon (TCR) Nicole Read (Head of House). In the centre is Music Teacher, Emma Withill who was key in the organisation of the event.

The Stars of Teesdale Talent Show took place on 30th April. For further information please contact Emma Withill emma.withill@teesdaleschool.co.uk

Chinese Exchange Visit Proves a Huge Success

2010-03-23T08:51:00.000Z

Staff and students at Teesdale School had the great privilege of entertaining two staff from our partner school in Shijazhuang, near Beijing, from Monday 8th to Tuesday 9th March. Mr Zhao, Deputy Head Teacher and Mr Shi, Deputy Director of the Academic Division spent a week in England visiting London and Cambridge before visiting their partner schools in the north east and then rounded off their week by visiting Edinburgh before returning to China. The staff seen below at the Mansion House in Newcastle visited lessons and undertook a tour of the Bowes Museum on Monday as well answering questions from Teesdale students about life in China and Chinese schools. They then visited the co-hosting school Tudhoe Grange in Spennymoor on Tuesday and still found time to go shopping in Newcastle!

The purpose of the visit was to create links between Teesdale School and School 41 in Shijazhuang with a view to sending students from both Teesdale and Tudhoe Grange Schools on a study visit to China in 2011. Representatives from the three schools attended the function at the Mansion House in Newcastle in order to formally sign a declaration of their commitment to forge meaningful educational links between the staff and students of the schools. There are plans to send staff from Teesdale School to China this summer to undertake some teaching and to find out more about Chinese culture and their education system.

Mrs Bedwell, who co-ordinated the visit in school, said: “The visit has been a fabulous learning opportunity for all concerned. For example, our visitors were extremely interested in the way schools in the UK deliver vocational education, something which is not so common within the school system in China. Meanwhile, our students were extremely impressed at the personal qualities exhibited by our visitors; by how interested they were in all aspects of the British education system and how generous they were towards strangers. It is clear that we have much to learn from each other and we look forward to developing the next stage of our partnership when we go on a return visit to China this summer”.

Clugston Group Chief Executive visits Teesdale School

2010-03-04T08:42:00.000Z

On Thursday 4 March Teesdale School Science College and Sixth form centre was delighted to receive a visit from Stephen Martin, the Chairman of Clugston Construction which is currently building the Teesdale Community Resources Hub adjacent to the school site.

Mr Martin, familiar to many from the Undercover Boss Channel 4 programme, visited the school to sign a ‘Statement of Commitment’ between Clugston and the school to share expertise around learning and management. He also visited the school’s Construction Centre to watch post-16 students developing their brickwork techniques, which they will soon be employing on the Hub site as part of a work experience programme agreed with the company. While in the centre, Mr Martin presented the Clugston Construction prize to Daniel Rudge, now studying A levels in the Sixth Form, for his Construction work last year.

At the end of the day Mr Martin attended a School Leadership Team meeting where he was able to share his expertise in running a multi-million pound organisation, while gaining insight into the operation of an 800 student school. One of the meeting’s outcomes was an agreement to run a leadership and management exchange programme later in the year.

Mr Paul Harrison, Headteacher commented, ‘This has been a fantastic experience for both students and staff. To have someone of Mr Martin’s calibre round our leadership table has been a particular honour. Clugston is a company with a track record of excellence and we are delighted to be associated with it as we aim to become an outstanding institution ourselves.’

Mr Martin, commented, ‘I am very impressed with the professionalism of the teaching and support staff at Teesdale School and they deserve praise for their forward thinking approach in strengthening their ties with the private sector. Clugston is delighted to support Teesdale School in encouraging students to work to the best of their ability whilst enjoying the teaching experience and welcomes the reciprocal benefits to be gained from staff sharing leadership and management learning.’

Finalists in the Rolls-Royce Science Prize 2009

2010-02-25T11:00:00.000Z

Teesdale School is one of this year's best nine teams to enter the Rolls-Royce Science Prize and have been awarded a total of £5,000 to implement their submitted proposals.
The aim of the project is to motivate and engage 11-14 year old pupils in areas of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). Pupils will research and build an enrichment device for captive zoo animals.
This project will develop skills in areas of biology, technology and design, maths and general skills like teamwork. As part of this the team will be working in collaboration with a university and zoological institution to research and demonstrate the benefit of the enrichment device that has been designed and made by the pupils themselves. The links between various institutions are aimed at benefiting the pupils in their enjoyment of STEM subjects and possible future careers.
http://rolls-royce-stream.dc1.coull.biz/rolls_royce_content/Internet/DV3903_Teesdale_intro.wmv
http://rolls-royce-stream.dc1.coull.biz/rolls_royce_content/Internet/DV3921_Teesdale_team.wmv

Official League tables – Press Release

2010-01-15T13:53:00.000Z

The official school league tables published last week are a cause of celebration for Teesdale School. Compared to other schools in the County it ranked very highly. The main statistic is the performance of students gaining 5 or more GCSEs at grade C or higher including English and Maths. Teesdale’s result of 67% places it in 4th position behind schools in the Durham area.
The school also had the second highest points score in the County and a figure of 95% of students gaining a level 2 qualification in English and Maths skills. This was the highest performance of all state schools and better than most of the Independent schools in the County. 45% of students gained a high level qualification in a Modern Language – significantly higher than the national average of 28.4% and the highest of any school other than Specialist Language Colleges.
Commenting on the rankings, Headteacher Paul Harrison said: ‘These were our best results to date and we were very pleased. These tables can be confusing to parents and employers as they do not identify how the results are achieved. We have maintained what we feel is a balanced yet rigorous curriculum which enables students to go on to further study at ‘A’ level and University and are happy that we have achieved these rankings with such a curriculum.’

Arrangements for Examinations in Bad Weather during Jan 2010

2010-01-08T14:10:00.000Z

Exams will take place as scheduled. If the school is closed to pupils, the exams department will be at school and exams will still take place and students must try to get into school if they can.

Exams will start as timetabled at 9.00 am or 1.30 pm. If students are late due to the weather conditions, please could you telephone the school (01833 638166) and let us know their expected time of arrival.

If it is impossible for students to get into school, it may be possible for modules to be taken in June, except for those students taking legacy GCE units.

Teesdale students produce spectacular show for local residents

2009-12-17T15:45:00.000Z

Sixth form students at Teesdale School took over 90 guests from the local community to the magical world of Hogwarts in their annual sixth form entertainment.

This year’s show, which is written, directed, staged and performed by the students was loosely based on a Harry Potter theme, although current students at the school, who watched the entertainment on the last day of term, instantly recognised all of the characters involved in the plot. After the show, the guests were provided with a buffet meal, planned, prepared and served by students who are studying A level Food and Nutrition, whilst being serenaded with Christmas carols by the school’s madrigal group, No Added Sugar.

The planning and preparation for the entertainment started months ago, and involves so many of our students. The students have to use their entrepreneurial skills to raise the money to stage the event, and have organised a staff karaoke, a rave, a lower school disco, and have washed staff cars. Director of 6th form, Mr John Trevett commented “This has been a real team effort, with so many students involved in the organisation and staging of the show. It serves as a timely reminder as to how talented our students are, and how much they can achieve.

The 6th form students would like to thank all of the local businesses who supported them by providing prizes for the free raffle, and to Hodgson’s for their assistance with transporting guests to and from school on the day.

Contact J Trevett 01833 638166
John.Trevett@teesdaleschool.co.uk

Review of Bugsy Malone

2009-12-03T16:41:00.000Z

Review of Bugsy Malone
at
Teesdale School 2-4th December 2009 7.30pm

Teesdale School have really exceeded all their previous successes with an absolutely stunning production of the show ’Bugsy Malone’. With an amazing eighty five students of the school involved in the production, this again is another remarkable achievement: suddenly it seems that performing arts has become inclusive and tonight I saw many students coming into their own, both in terms of stage performances but also those on the production crew who worked with commitment and obvious enthusiasm.

Kate Nergaard’s choice of play and direction was a really important factor in the short and long term impact of this show. Along with Emma Withill’s excellent musical direction this show allowed so many students to shine: the very nature of the story has all that a school show needs: gangster gangs, comic routines, lots of small but memorable parts and then a strong punchy chorus of singers and wonderfully choreographed dancers who gave the whole show a backbone that was its real strength. I have seen many school shows and there is always a child on stage, looking for their mum in the audience, slightly out of time and not really singing their heart out. Well tonight was different, they all were there, having the best time ever, from the wonderful and highly professional band in their sharp suits to the little Year 7s singing their hearts out for us all, from the saxophone solo to the ballet dancer –they lost themselves in the performance, but didn’t lose the discipline that performing demands. At the end of the show a normally quiet and reserved student sitting in the front row said to her mum, ‘I want to be in it next year’ and she will not be alone. This year with ‘Bugsy Malone’ Teesdale School has succeeded in showcasing a real wealth of talent from students and their dedicated teachers and making a wonderful piece of entertainment; an Artsmark School hitting the mark. It was everything a school show should be.

Sixth form Art student meets fashion icon

2009-11-20T10:16:00.000Z

Sixth form Art student Stephanie Morris met one of her fashion icons Zandra Rhodes at Baltic, Gateshead. The famous textile and fashion designer Zandra Rhodes gave a lecture about her extensive and influential work in support of her book which focuses on her lifelong passion for textiles. Stephanie Morris, who studies Art and Design at Teesdale and an aspiring fashion student met Zandra at the lecture and was given the opportunity to chat and ask questions. She was given sound advice about how to approach her forthcoming studies as a fashion designer and entrepreneur and gained inspiration and encouragement from the experience.

If you require any further information, please could you contact Jane Thompson in the Art Department at school. Her email is jane.thompson@teesdaleschool.co.uk.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park Art Visit

2009-10-16T10:06:00.000+01:00

On the beautiful autumnal day of Friday 16th October a group of 49 year 10 and 11 students from Teesdale School visited the Yorkshire Sculpture Park at West Bretton. Students have been studying the work of Peter Randall-Page, an internationally recognised artist who makes large scale sculptures based on symmetry and natural form, and who has a major exhibition of work sited at the Sculpture Park. Students were able to respond and see for themselves the immense scale and craftsmanship demonstrated in the work and to bring back information that would help them with their own art work.

Some of the students’ comments were:
“It was amazing to see the texture and detail in the sculptures that we can’t see from photos at school.”
“I loved how you could touch the sculptures outside, it made things more real.”
“I enjoyed the quietness in the gallery and seeing his sketchbooks and maquettes which looked like work I had done.”

Gallery staff at the Park were very impressed with the student’s enthusiasm, maturity and knowledge of the artist’s work, and they are all going to contribute to a display which links their work to science and nature.

If you require any further information, please contact Jane Thompson, Head of Art at school on the phone number below, or email jane.thompson@teesdaleschool.co.uk

Teesdale School Receives International Schools Award

2009-10-16T10:01:00.000+01:00

Headteacher, Paul Harrison, was presented with the International School Award for 2009-2012 by BBC journalist George Alagiah at a ceremony in London on Friday 16th October. This is the second time the school has received this prestigious award in recognition of the school's high quality international work.

Swine Flu notice

2009-09-22T11:41:00.000+01:00

Parents

There have been cases of swine flu in my child's school (or early years and childcare setting) but it has remained open. Should I send my child in?
While schools and settings remain open, we strongly urge parents to continue to send their children there — unless they have any symptoms of flu. Parents will be advised if the school or setting is to close and what to do then.

My child has a history of other medical problems and I believe he or she is at greater risk should they catch swine flu. Is it safe for my child to go to school or setting while there have been cases of swine flu there? And are there other precautions that I should take?
Your child should continue to attend school or setting unless they have any flu-like symptoms. If they display any symptoms you should keep them at home and, given their other medical conditions, you should contact your GP for advice and treatment as soon as possible.

Is it better for children to catch swine flu now in order to build up their resilience to potentially more harmful strains in the future?
No. We are still learning about this strain of swine flu and who is most at risk of complications. The Health Protection Agency therefore strongly advises people to avoid intentionally infecting themselves, or their children, with the virus, for their own safety and the safety of any vulnerable people they may unintentionally infect.

Even with mild flu, complications can occur, leading to more serious illness. With this in mind, it would be wrong not to take all necessary precautions against swine flu and limit its spread.

What could working parents do if their child's school or childcare setting was closed for an extended period? Would they have to stay off work?
We appreciate that closures would present a challenge for working parents, which is why we advise that closures should take place only in exceptional circumstances. However, we believe parents would agree with a closure decision taken to reduce a significant threat to their children's wellbeing.

In the case of closure, parents would have to make other arrangements for looking after their children. Some might be able to work from home, work flexible or shorter hours, or make informal childcare arrangements with a relative or friend.

Could employers with a significant proportion of parent workers establish their own childcare provision?
There are no current plans to close group childcare settings en masse. If this were to happen, it would also apply to any newly established nursery set up by an employer as much as to any other establishment, so it would not be helpful for employers to do this. Also, any such new facility would have to be registered with Ofsted, which could not be completed at very short notice; they would have to check that relevant safety, welfare and other requirements are met before confirming registration.

Parent workers staying off work to look after children will have a severe impact on the economy and on essential services.
We have drawn this issue to the attention of employers so that they can plan for this eventuality. It would have an impact on all sectors, but with good planning we believe that impact to be manageable.

More general advice and guidance for parents can be found on Directgov.

University scholarships for Teesdale School students

2009-09-17T15:35:00.000+01:00

Seven students who completed their A level studies at Teesdale School in June, have each been awarded £3000 University scholarships.

The scholarships were awarded by the trustees of the Mewhort Trust which was set up in the memory of the late Mrs Phyllis Mewhort of Barnard Castle. Commenting on the awards, Headteacher Paul Harrison said: ‘Sixth Formers at Teesdale are uniquely privileged to have these scholarships. Awarding the scholarships was particularly difficult this year as nearly forty students who left in the summer are continuing with their studies at University.

The scholarships are awarded to students in recognition of their academic and personal achievements in gaining a place at University and their contributions to the life of both the school and the wider community.

This year’s scholarships were awarded to:

Claire Wilkinson, who is studying Japanese at Hertford College, Oxford University
Anya Thomas , who is studying English Literature at Newcastle University
Naomi Gibson, who is studying Town Planning at Newcastle University
Louise Ford, who is studying Music at York University
Emma Clement, (who joined Teesdale School from Staindrop School in the sixth form), who is studying Food and Nutrition at Sheffield Hallam University
Verity Watson, who is studying Physical Education and Youth Sport at Sheffield Hallam University
Lucy Brenkley, who is to study Physical Education and coaching at York St John University in 2010.

Contact J Trevett John.trevett@teesdaleschool.co.uk
Tel 01833 638166

Outstanding GCSE Results

2009-09-07T10:20:00.000+01:00

23.4% of grades at A* or A

96 grades at A*

250 grades at A

84% of students gained 5+ A*-C grades

66.4% gained 5+ A*-C including English and Maths

99.2% gained 5+ A*-G grades

GCSE points score (including all grades) of 554

Highest in the County

19th out of 392 schools nationally in the Guardian

Compared to other Durham Schools:

5+A-C incl. English & Maths

Parkview 71%
Lanchester St Bede’s 71%
St Leonards 68%
Teesdale 66.4%
Durham Johnston 64.9%

GCSE Points Scores*

Teesdale 554
Parkview 516
Lanchester St Bede’s 487
St Leonards 423
Durham Johnston 398

* Based on last published figures for other schools

Record performance for Teesdale School

Excellent 'A' Level results

2009-09-07T09:34:00.000+01:00

Average points score of 729

Best performance for 4 years

Record numbers going to University

Successful Oxbridge candidate

Vertical Tutoring to Launch

2009-07-02T15:21:00.001+01:00

The new Vertical Tutoring groups system is to launch on 6th July 2009. This gives pupils a chance to adapt to the new system and allows the school to taste it for 2 weeks until the end of term.

Teaching Assistant Award for Mrs Hamilton

2009-07-02T15:19:00.000+01:00

Mrs Louise Hamilton
Teaching Awards 2009 Winner

The TDA Award for Teaching Assistant of the Year in North East and Cumbria

Teesdale School, BARNARD CASTLE

http://www.teachingawards.com/winners/winnerDetail.ikml?id=37295&t=reg&y=11

Food Mile zone

2009-06-04T15:12:00.000+01:00

Thanks to the hard work of John Abbott, Gary Waller and Nick Woodward, the food mile zone is beginning to yield a huge number of plants – rocket, leeks, sweet pea, tomatoes, grapes and strawberries. After a difficult first planting which was ruined by March frosts and the Easter heat wave, they have seeded and grown these extremely quickly. We now expect to have our first meal grown totally in Teesdale in July of this year.

From Russia with love

2009-05-15T12:29:00.000+01:00

Anglo-Russian relations were celebrated in Barnard Castle this week when a group of students from St. Petersburg in Russia spent a day at Teesdale School. The 10 Russian students were accompanied by the Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher of St. Petersburg School.

The students were paired up with 10 Teesdale students who hosted them for the day. Their fun packed day started with a traditional English cooking lesson and tasting! The students learnt to make scones or flapjack. After a tour of the school, they then had a dual language lesson before being entertained for lunch.

In the afternoon English students acted as guides to the local sights including ‘the castle’ and the Bowes Museum followed by shopping in our local shops. Adam Dent who accompanied the students said “ This was a great day, we got to learn some Russian and to show off our school and town. I would love to visit them in Russia one day”.

The students are planning to stay in contact via e-mail and Teesdale School is planning a more formal partnership with St. Petersburg as part of its International School status.

Teesdale School Year 7 Students open up International Links

2009-05-14T12:28:00.000+01:00

Teesdale Year 7 students have been opening up international links with a children’s home in Nepal. On hearing that student Oliver Hamilton was visiting Nepal during the Easter holidays the year group decided that they wanted to support the local children’s home Rokpa. After consultation with Oliver the Children’s home, the students and Head of Year Nicole Read, they came up with the idea of making and donating pencil cases for every child as there are limited funds and stationary available. The students also enclosed a personal note in the pencil cases. Nicole Read set the students the task of fundraising “ I wanted this to be driven by the students, they needed to plan, organise and make up the pencil cases themselves under the guidance and support from their Form Tutors”. “It was so good to see the children opening the pencil cases “ said Oliver.

The students thoroughly enjoyed both the making of the pencil cases and the fundraising. The target for each form was £50, they achieved this by helping in the kitchen, completing a sponsored run, baking cake sales, guess the amount of sweets in the jar challenge and setting up Wii and playstation challenges. Nicole Read Head of Year said “ I am so proud of the students. They have worked very hard and have shown a fabulous amount of commitment to this project and the notes that they put in the pencil cases were very touching. They are a credit to our school”.

WW1 Battlefields Trip….from Teesdale to Tyne Cot

2009-04-29T12:07:00.000+01:00

In the week before the start of the Easter holidays 72 Year 9 students and their teachers from Teesdale School set off for a memorable visit to the WW1 battlefields of Belgium. This well established visit always proves to be a fantastic insight into the reality of what people went through in the course of WW1.

Organised around the premise of slowly bringing our students to a mature and deep- seated understanding and even empathy with what happened, the first day was spent looking at memorials, Diksmuide Tower, the Trench of Death and Sanctuary Wood, where the students first saw the trenches and, in the museum, started to get an idea of the reality of the conditions and casualties of the war. We then took the party into Ypres, known colloquially as Wipers by soldiers at the time. There we were all staggered by the sheer number of names engraved on the Menin Gate, and knew that this was a place of huge cultural and historical significance and to which we would return. The Cloth Hall in Ypres showed us what has to be one of the most haunting museums to warfare that we are likely to see in the west. Re-created after being razed to the ground, this museum encouraged us to not only make connections with our own experience, but also to track the life of an individual who was in some way involved in the war.

The following day we took a long drive down to the Somme battlefields and saw the splendour of the monument at Thiepval and the Ulster Memorial Tower where the connections became more real as our students began to make highly personal connections between their name and the thousands of names recorded on the stones. Indeed the day became highly personal as Mr Henderson who teaches History at the school and his father, who also accompanied us, found their relative, Leonard McIver, who was commemorated at Thiepval. Later in the day we went to the town of Albert where Nick Tuck was the first known relative to visit the grave of his great great-grandfather, William Coulson of the Northumberland Fusiliers. We also went to see the trenches at Beaumont Hamel to see where the Newfoundland regiment had faced the enemy in what was, on the ground, a hopeless position. Similarly, at Lochnagar the huge crater blown out of the chalky soil was testament to huge human effort for little gain. The day finished with a visit to the stunning Vimy Ridge where our students were amazed at the size and beauty of the sculpture.

Many now having felt a personal connection with what is for most of us, a far away war, we moved on finally to the shocking sights at the cemeteries of the Allies at Tyne Cot and of the Germans at Langemarck where the sheer number of graves and the colossal human loss of life was, for many almost too much to comprehend.

But for all of us the highlight of our visit was when our school was privileged to lay a wreath at the Menin Gate on Saturday night, The ceremony takes place every evening at eight o’ clock and five of our students proudly laid a beautiful wreath of spring flowers from all students and staff at the school. Nick Tuck, Tara Evans, Lauren Wheeler, Chris Rutter and Alice Wood, all of whom have a direct connection to the ceremony, behaved with great dignity as they laid the wreath in front of a crown of over three thousand people. As the bugle sounded and then a solitary piper played, we were all moved and felt that this was the climax of an unforgettable experience.

A visit to Denmark

2009-03-25T11:59:00.000Z

Eight Sixth Form students studying Geography and Environmental Science took part in a visit to Grenaa in Denmark along with Belgian students, to study recent developments in renewal energy. On Sunday March 8th March we flew from Stansted to Aarhus, which was a great experience for two of the students who had never flown before. After a good nights rest in a traditional Danish hostel we walked into Grenaa to attend the Grenaa Technical School where we enjoyed an intensive but fun filled morning researching various types of renewal energy, working with our friends from Denmark and Belgium. All students quickly formed a strong bond and in the afternoon we all visited the Kattegatcentret - The Danish Shark Centre which fascinated us all.

Tuesday was spent travelling to the west of Jutland to visit the Folkecenter for Renewable Energy in Hurup. There we looked at and climbed into wind turbines. In addition, we saw a variety of types of solar energy and stood on a prototype for wave energy in Denmark. On the evening we visited a traditional Danish restaurant.

Wednesday allowed the students to roam around Grenaa and spend the Kroner on delicious Danish pastries, enjoying a Chinese buffet on the evening.

The final day saw us return to Stansted, followed by a eerie quiet coach journey home, to be met by being given the results of our January AS examinations.

All of the students would like to thank Mr Griffiths and Mrs Tyler for making their trip thoroughly enjoyable and showing us some amazing sites. Thank you very much.

Emily Wood, Year 13 Student

Pasted Graphic
In the picture at the Kattegatcentret Shark Centre are Jessica Shield, Michael Dixon, John Raine, James Bishop, Jack Stabler, Iain Thomson, John Mason and Emily Wood