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Newsletter Issue 17 December 2011
Latest News @ www.stockport-academy.org
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Principal and Chaplain’s Christmas Messages | Stockport Express and Academy | Eco Schools and History | Operation Christmas Child | Enrichment News | Ann Coffey Visit and more
Stockport Academy recognisedits best students at this year’sPresentation and Certificate
Evening.Award-winning students from all year
groups were invited to the event, withprizes ranging from high achievement inindividual subjects to special Principal andGovernors’ Awards.
The academy’s enterprise link partner,APS Group, also gave a prestigious award
for efforts in business and enterprise.
As part of the invite, invited guests
were treated to a specially choreographed
performance from Year 10 dance students,
as well as musical performances from
Sixth Form student Rachel Beeley and Year
10 student Abigail Livingstone.
Our special guest, Principal Peter Mul-
holland of William Hulme’s Grammar
School in Manchester, also addressed
award winners, praising their hard work
and dedication.
On the evening, Stockport Academy
Principal Ben Dunne said: “This event
recognises hardworking students for their
superb efforts over the past year. We hope
the evening will inspire all our students
onto further achievement and success.”
Presentation Evening
Picture Special - Pages 7-8
Awards evening delight for top students
Principal Ben Dunne with Principal’sAward Winner Callum Gannon
Merry Christmas from Stockport Academy
Chair of Governors David Robinson withGovernors’ Award Winner Alan Bradbury
With a new year fast ap-proaching, it is naturalto look back over the
last few months and celebrate themany achievements of our stu-dents this term.
Our Year 11 students havebeen working incredibly hard withstaff to ensure they all achievetheir personal best by the end ofthis year. The success that we aresure they will achieve will enableall of them to continue their stud-
ies with us in the Sixth Form, where they will join our currentgroup of hardworking Sixth Formers.
Our Year 7 students are also doing well and have settledquickly into the academy. Their progress as a year group isvery encouraging and it is a real pleasure to see them growin confidence week-by-week. They are also now a foot-balling force to be reckoned with!
Our new school day has been well received and I ampleased to see the students taking advantage of the widerange of enrichment opportunities we now offer. Even myMah Jong and Bridge Club has developed a dedicated fol-lowing! Please don’t forget that we also offer a daily StudyClub from 2.40-3.30pm for those who want to completehomework or read quietly in our Learning Resource Centre.
Can I also take this opportunity to thank parents and car-ers for their support in helping us drive attendance. We areon target to be in the top quarter of schools for attendanceby the end of the academic year - a huge improvement onlyachievable with your support.
Thank you also for your support at our Christmas Fair, or-ganised in partnership with our growing Parents’ Forum.Please get involved with the Parents’ Forum and the manyfundraising ventures planned for the New Year. Look out fortheir stall at upcoming events.
To sum up, the academy continues its promising path forthe year ahead and while we still have a lot of work to do,I am positive the academy will have made significantprogress towards becoming the outstanding institution thecommunity deserves in the very near future.
Please have a relaxing Christmas and I look forward toseeing you all in the New Year.
Ben DunnePrincipal, Stockport Academy
“I wonder if the three-phrases that sum upChristmas are ‘peace
on Earth’, ‘goodwill to men’and ‘batteries not included’?
Christmas is meant to besomething a bit different isn’tit?
But it sort of ends upbeing the same – the sameshopping, the same eatingand drinking, the same creditcard bill at the end. Maybe
this year you’re dreading Christmas because somebodyyou love won’t be there or you just don’t know whereyou’re going to find the money to buy the kids’ pres-ents.
Maybe, for you, it’s just another day and the soonerit’s gone the better – bah humbug! Quite frankly, Isometimes feel a bit the same way, or at least I do untilI think about the real Reason for the Season: that littlechild born in an animal shed to a girl who wasn’t evenmarried; no cot, no nothing, not even a room to sleepin but who, it turns out, was actually God’s Son.
I think of the terrified shepherds when the angelsbelted out the news of his birth; the magnificent kingsarriving from the east with their expensive presents andI remember the way they all fell down at the baby’s feet,worshipping Him. And when I do, I stop for a minute andremember that they called him the Prince of Peace.
Maybe it doesn’t really matter how big the tree is orhow fancy the presents are; maybe what really mattersis that we remember that little child, how much he loveseach and every one of us and how his story turns out.
Christians believe that Jesus is Emmanuel, God withus. The Reason for the Season is Him and his name isLove: Love is what’s in the room at Christmas if you stopopening presents and listen.
May the spirit of Christmas bring you peace, thegladness of Christmas give you hope and the warmth ofChristmas grant you love.
A Merry Christmas and a fantastic New Year to youall.”
Rev. Sue MayoChaplain, Stockport Academy
Principal and Chaplain’s Christmas Messages
www.stockport-academy.orgIssue 17 - Page 2
Rev Sue Mayo
News
www.stockport-academy.org Issue 17 - Page 3
Read all about it! Academyand Stockport Express teamup for literacy drive
The Stockport Express hasteamed up with the acad-emy as part of a literacy
drive project for Years 7-9. The project was part of the work
given to students affected by the re-cent industrial action.
Students in Years 7-9 were eachgiven a complimentary copy of eitherthe Stockport Express or the Man-chester Evening News. They werethen set the task of completing astudy book, answering a range of
questions designed to improve their
knowledge of newspapers and their
close reading skills.
The three students with the best
completed booklets were then each
given a prize.
On setting the work, Principal Ben
Dunne said: “Because of the indus-
trial action, we were concerned about
students missing an entire day’s
learning - something that simply
couldn’t be afforded.
“But through this fun project, stu-
dents were able to improve their lit-
eracy and independent learning skills.
“Students also learnt more about
their local community and the impor-
tance of reading newspapers to gain
information and engage more with
the world around them.”
Principal Ben Dunne and Associate Principal JennyLangley with members of the Student Council
www.stockport-academy.orgIssue 17 - Page 4
News
Switch Off Monitors leading chargefor Eco School status
Switch Off Monitorshave told staff toturn off equipment
as part of an experimentleading the academy toEco Schools status.
Switch Off Fortnight aimsto raise awareness of energyusage in schools and im-prove energy efficiency.
The academy’s Switch OffMonitors, who form part ofthe academy’s new EcoCommittee, also helpedmeasure the energy savedduring the two weeks aspart of an audit looking atsavings made.
The audit and its findingswill lead to the academyachieving the Eco SchoolsBronze Award - the first ofthree awards available aspart of the Eco Schools ini-tiative.
On the Switch Off Moni-tors, Curriculum Area Leaderfor Sciences Ms. Crawshawsaid: “The Switch Off Moni-tors have done a fantasticjob in raising awareness ofenergy efficiency in theacademy.
“Their roles have beenessential in turning ouracademy into a greeneracademy.”
Students show their love of history
Academy studentshave shown theirenthusiasm for
history by participatingin Remembrance eventsand bringing artefacts toshow in class, says His-tory teacher Ms. Jones.
For the academy’sArmistice Day service, stu-dents were asked to re-search a family member orhistoric figure who fell dur-ing any conflict.
Students then wrote thename of the person on apoppy which was thendropped after the two-
minute silence from the bal-conies into the atrium.
Meanwhile, Year 9 stu-dent Kieran Carringtonbrought in medals to showin class.
The medals belong toKieran’s stepdad, whoserved in Northern Irelandand the Former Yugoslaviaas part of the NATO inter-vention in the 1990s.
The medals grabbed stu-dents’ interest immediatelyand brought modern history
to life.
Two of our Switch Off Monitors,Natalie Howard and Alan Bradbury
www.stockport-academy.org Issue 17 - Page 5
Academy Christmas News
Sixth Formers show theirgenerosity for OperationChristmas Child
The academy’s Sixth Formhave shown their gener-ousity once again for this
year’s Operation ChristmasChild, writes Sixth Form Admin-istrator Jan Vale.
Operation Christmas Child is aninitiative of Samaritan’s Purse, aChristian relief and development or-ganisation which works through localchurches to help children and familiesin need across Africa, Eastern Europeand Central Asia.
Operation Christmas Child is theworld’s largest children’s Christmasproject, bringing joy into the lives ofunderprivileged children since 1990.
Last year, nearly 1.2 million shoe-boxes were packed with gifts andgoodies and sent from the UK to chil-dren who need them most in some ofthe toughest parts of the world.
Shoeboxes are given to the need-iest children, regardless of their back-ground or religious beliefs: it’s anunconditional gift, asking nothing inreturn.
Stockport Academy Sixth Formwere glad to help out once again thisyear. Citizenship teacher Miss. Valeand the Sixth Form Student Councilorganised the students to get to-gether and make the boxes.
Each box has at least 14 gifts, in-cluding a toy, pen and pencil, stickers,
colouring book, toothbrush andtoothpaste, soap, comb, hair clips,gloves, scarf, hat and sweets. Thereis also £2.50 in each box covering thecost of UK transportation, shippingand distribution.
The students have filled over 20shoeboxes which will put smiles onthe faces of children like the ones atthe school above in Montenegro, re-ceiving their boxes last year.
If you want to know more aboutOperation Christmas Child, visitwww.operationchristmaschild.org.uk.
The Sixth Form and Citizenship teacher Ms. Valewith their completed Operation Christmas Childpackages
The school in Montenegro receivingtheir Christmas packages
www.stockport-academy.orgIssue 17 - Page 6
Presentation Evening Picture Special
A very well done to all!Our Presentation and Certificate Evening was a fantastic night for award-winners and guests alike. Here are some of the best images from the night,including a selection of our special award winners.
Our Year 10 dance students duringtheir choreographed routine
Vocational Award Winner JackCollins with Mr. Robinson
KS3 Achievement Winner AbigailLivingstone with Mr. Robinson
www.stockport-academy.org Issue 17 - Page 7
SpecialAward
Winners
Head GirlConnie Edgerton
Head BoyThomas Carney
Principal’s AwardCallum Gannon
Governors’ AwardAlan BradburyMeakin/Mellor
Award for ScienceEmma Byers
APS Business and Enterprise Award
Ashley WalkerServices to the
AcademyJamie Cash
Services to theCommunity
Jamie MooresKS3 Achievement
Abigail Livingstone
KS4 AchievementRachel Beeley
KS5 AchievementSophie Dunne
Sports Personality
Reanne HealeyVocational Award
Jack Collins
Winner of theMeakin/Mellor Award
for Science Emma Byerswith George Meakin
New Head Boy Thomas Carneywith Principal Ben Dunne
Principal ofWilliam Hulme’sGrammar SchoolPeter Mulhollandgiving his address
Services to theAcademy WinnerJamie Cash with
Mr. Robinson
Enrichment News
www.stockport-academy.orgIssue 17 - Page 8
Subbuteo Club and BTECCafé cooking up a storm
Imagine a world where thereare no XBoxes, Playstations,Wiis or Nintendo 3DSs and
the smallest handheld game re-quired 4 AA batteries whichlasted 30 minutes - yes, you’reback in the 1980s.
It may be a distant memory formany parents, but for every would-beMessi now practising on the latest 4Gastroturf pitch, back then there was abudding Bryan Robson hacking downhis opponent or a Terry Butcher mop-ping blood from his brow.
But as the nights drew in and timecalled, children retreated to their bed-
rooms, garages or lofts and there itwas – the hallowed green baize ofSubbuteo.
No handheld controls but individ-ual figures perched on their baseswaiting to be flicked into action – atotal interactive experience that, formany, is far more realistic than FIFA2012.
Now, through the hard work ofGeography teacher Mr. Asher, a newgeneration of ‘flickers’ are emergingwith the introduction of SubbuteoClub. While sourcing pitches andteams has been quite exhausting,with second hand teams and pitchescommanding astronomical prices, the
club has managed to fund fourpitches and is one of most popularenrichment activities on offer. Indeed,it is so popular that there are fourdivisions and another member ofstaff, Mr. Meller, takes part everyweek!
Meanwhile, move over Starbucks!Step aside Costa! Stockport Academystudents can now experience the‘café culture’ lifestyle with the open-ing of our BTEC Café.
Year 10 and 11 BTEC Hospitalitystudents are using this unique enrich-ment opportunity to develop theircatering skills whilst offering pupilsand staff a menu of freshly prepared
The academy’s Director of Sport and Enrichment, Mr. Thomas,serves us his half-term enrichment highlights.
Some of the Subbuteo Club ‘flickers’
Enrichment News
www.stockport-academy.org Issue 17 - Page 9
paninis served along side a long latteor a frothy cappuccino.
Since its opening, demand hasrisen week on week to the pointwhere orders must be placed well inadvance to avoid disappointment. Adelivery service has also been intro-duced to ensure no one misses out.
The money raised from the BTECCafé goes back into providing mate-rials and equipment for the acad-emy’s Hospitality students.
Subbuteo Club takes place everyWednesday after school.
STEM Club flying high thanks tostudents’ gliders
Mr. Stonehouse’s STEMClub have been busy
building gliders and
testing them inside the acad-
emy’s atrium.Students from across various year
groups have joined in, making their
gliders from ‘depron’ foam and balsa
wood. Both materials are often used
to make professional model airplanes
and boats.
Once built, the students flew - or
rather threw - their gliders, measuringtheir distances to see which one trav-elled the furthest.
Students have made a variety ofgliders, with some having long wing-spans to some being much shorter.The purpose of the experiment was toshow how important aerodynamicsare in order to travel long distances.
As well as building gliders, STEMClub is going to conduct a wholerange of other activities including tel-escope building and a potential trip
to Jodrell Bank. On the success of STEM Club, Mr.
Stonehouse said: “The students haveloved STEM Club so far and can’twait to move onto buidling the tele-scope. Hopefully the students whocome along every week will be ourscientists of the future!”
STEM Club involves activities inScience, Technology, Engineering andMathematics. It takes place everyThursday after school.
Students from BTECHospitality in action
Local MP AnnCoffey foundherself in the
hot seat whenquizzed by Stock-port Academystudents for Par-liament Week.
Ms Coffey's visitto the academy waspart of a week-longinitiative supportedby the Houses of Par-liament which aimsto raise awarenessand engagement with the UK demo-cratic system.
During her visit, the Stockport MPwas welcomed to the academy bymembers of the Sixth Form StudentCouncil, who took the opportunity
over lunch to find out why Ms Coffey
entered politics and her reasons for
supporting Parliament Week.
Media Studies students also
recorded the event for a special news
report.
In addition, MsCoffey took part in aquestion and an-swer session withthe wider SixthForm, answeringquestions on arange of topics in-cluding the war inAfghanistan, the Ed-ucation Mainte-nance Allowanceand tuition fees.
On the visit, MsCoffey said: "I havealways been very
impressed with the academy and thequestions put to me by the studentsduring my visit have been some ofthe most sensible I have been askedfor a long time!"
www.stockport-academy.orgIssue 17 - Page 10
Sixth Form News
Sixth Form put MP in the hot seat
Ann Coffey MP with our Sixth Form StudentCouncil, Principal Ben Dunne, Director ofSixth Form Jo Harcup and Sixth Form staff
Science Mentors asuccess with Year 11s
The Sixth Form Science PeerMentors are providing essen-tial support for Year 11 stu-
dents.The peer mentors, who all study sci-
ence subjects at A-Level, were selectedafter a rigorous application process andare now working with Year 11 studentsby providing support and guidance in therun up to GCSE examinations.
On the mentoring scheme, ScienceSpecialism Coordinator Ms. Brazier said:“Our mentors are ambassadors for theSixth Form and are looked up to by othersin the academy.
“The mentors use data we provide tofocus on and support particular students,but otherwise they work independentlywith little direction from staff. Theexperiences they are gaining will maketheir UCAS applications really stand-out.”
The Science Peer Mentors (From L to R):Arman Kuraishy, Leonie Threlfall, PatrickBrown, Shehryar Jameel and Declan Peach.
www.stockport-academy.org Issue 17 - Page 11
Student News
A t t e n d a n c e a n d B e h a v i o u r U p d a t eRemember to SHINE
Students are asked to con-
tinue SHINEing after the
successful launch of the
new behaviour policy. Posters have been placed all
around the academy reminding stu-
dents of the rewards for positive be-
haviour and the consequences of
negative behaviour.
Many students are now reaping
the rewards for positive behaviour by
being awarded VIVO miles, which are
being exchanged for everything from
pens to high street vouchers.
Remember, SHINE stands for:
Smile
Help othersImpress with politeness
Never give upExpress yourself calmly.
Meanwhile, attendance continues
to improve with around 190 students
on 100% attendance at the time of
writing.
Please note that despite the win-
ter cold and cough season now un-derway, we still expect students tomake every effort to come into theacademy and to only stay at home ifabsolutely necessary. The academywill only authorise absences in casesof genuine illness and when we havebeen notified by phone or text on theday of absence.
Students are also expected tomake every effort to attend the acad-emy, even during bad weather. Ab-sences will not be authorised unlessin exceptional circumstances.
P W D L F A
6 5 1 0 36 8
Year 7 teammarches on after5-a-side win
The academy’s Year 7 boys footballteam continued their superb form bywinning the Stockport Schools 5-a-
Side Football Tournament. On their way to beating Priestnall School in
the final, the Year 7s beat some of the best sidesin Stockport, including those from Reddish Vale,Werneth, Cheadle Hulme and Stockport School.
The academy’s Year 7s were dominant in de-fence and attack throughout the tournament,scoring an amazing 36 goals over their six gamesand conceding just eight. All players displayedsome superb passing and build-up play and wereimpeccably behaved on and off the pitch.
The team has now earned the right to com-pete in the Greater Manchester 5-a-Side Football
Tournament, taking place after Christmas.
The Year 7 team after their dominant display in theStockport Schools 5-a-Side Football Tournament
The Stats...
Contact Us
Post: Stockport Academy, Heathbank Road, Cheadle Heath, Stockport SK3 0UP Telephone: 0161 286 0330 email: [email protected]: www.stockport-academy.org
Newsletter Editor: David Meller
© United Learning Trust 2011
Have your say...What would you like to see in the newsletter? Isthere something you particularly like or dislike?Please tell us by emailing [email protected]
D iary dates and group emai l sAutumn Term 2011Christmas Holiday: Wed 21st Dec-Mon 2nd Jan
Spring Term 2012Spring 1: Wed 4th Jan-Fri 10th FebHalf-Term: Mon 13th-Fri 17th FebSpring 2: Mon 20th Feb-Fri 30th MarEaster Holiday: Mon 2nd-Fri 13th Apr
Summer Term 2012Summer 1: Mon 16th Apr-Fri 1st JuneSpring Bank Holiday: Mon 4th-Fri 8th JuneSummer 2: Mon 11th June-Thurs 19th July** Lunchtime Close
Inset DaysTuesday 3rd January Monday 16th April
Progress Review DayFriday 24th February
School ProductionJoseph and the Technicolor DreamcoatTuesday 7th-Thursday 9th February
January 2012 GCSE Exams
For parents and carers of students in Years 10, 11 or 12,please consult the document enclosed with your child’sprogress report.
Otherwise, students are advised to speak to their subjectteacher or look for examination timetables placed aroundthe academy.
Group emails
Group emails allow you to get in touch with staff quickly.
Simply use the relevant email address and include the staff
member you wish to contact in the message. You will get a
response within 48 hours.
Progress Leaders
(change number for relevant year group e.g. Year8@ etc)
For Sixth Form enquiries, please email [email protected]
Group emails - Faculty Addresses
(includes Geography, Health and Social Care, History, Law,
Psychology, Sociology and Travel and Tourism)
(includes Business Studies)
(French and Spanish)[email protected]
(incl. BTEC Sport)
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