FEBRUARY 2020 ISSUE 3

SAXON MOUNT SCHOOL

NEWSLETTER

A message from Richard Preece, Executive Headteacher:

Dear Parents and Carers,

With the Christmas holiday now a distant memory, Term 3 can be a challenge with wintery weather and dark

mornings and evenings. However, life at Saxon Mount has been far from gloomy! It has been a very busy term with

mock examinations, trips and activities on offer, as you'll see in the newsletter. A lot of pupils already attend at least

one after school club, but we'd love to see as many pupils as possible participating and we will be offering holiday

activities over Easter and in the summer as well. There is information on our website about the current clubs we

offer. Two of our former pupils have appeared in a short film about apprenticeships - they are doing really well and

we are so proud of them! here is the link: https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=iRa9De0OIbg

A message from Amanda Jagot, Head of School:

As we near the end of another busy term, it has been great to see a glimmer of spring and enjoy the lighter evenings.

Our first residential trip is underway with half of the pupils in Year 7 and 8 taking a trip to Carroty Wood. I will make

sure we include some photographs of this in our next newsletter. I would like to thank all of the staff supporting

pupils on residentials throughout the year. Without staff volunteering, pupils would miss out on these exciting

opportunities.

This week, the Year 11 pupils have been sitting their mock exams. I am always so proud at the hard work and

resilience our pupils demonstrate. Over the next 4 months, staff will be supporting pupils in Year 11 so that they can

achieve their very best in the exams. If you would like advice from any of the teaching staff about how to support

your child prepare for their GCSEs, please do not hesitate to contact them. Email addresses are included in this

newsletter.

I think everyone is now ready for a rest and I hope that you all get the opportunity to relax and re-charge over the

half term break. See you in again in term 4.

Amanda

Dates for your diary:

February:

Wednesday 12th- Friday 14th: Carroty Wood (Year 7 and 8 residential)

Friday 14th: End of term 3

Monday 24th: INSET day, school closed for pupils

Tuesday 25th: Term 4 starts

FEBRUARY 2020 ISSUE 3

March:

Thursday 19th: AS4 Try-A-Train journey

Tuesday 24th: School photographs

Tuesday 31st: Parents’ Evening

April:

Friday 3rd: Term 4 ends

Monday 20th: Term 5 starts

Wednesday 29th – Friday 1st May – Facility Residential – PGL Windmill Hill

May:

Friday 8th: Bank Holiday

Friday 22nd: End of term 5

June:

Monday 1st: Term 6 starts

Monday 29th and Tuesday 30th: INSET days, school closed to pupils

July:

Wednesday 1st: Big Bang, Ardingly show ground for Year 7 & 8

Thursday 2nd: Mike Thornton Games for Facility pupils

Monday 6th to Friday 10th: Year 9 & 10 PGL residential on the Isle of Wight

Wednesday 22nd: Term 6 ends

Head of School’s ‘Worker of the Week’

Congratulations to the following pupils who have achieved this award during term 3:

Dean Egleton

Daisy Kemp

Charlie Ansell

Ebony Hart

Ben Dempsey

FEBRUARY 2020 ISSUE 3

FEBRUARY 2020 ISSUE 3

Year 9

Year 9 have been busy this term creating video adverts for our

school. They have had to think carefully about the audience and

purpose of their adverts so they can make sure that they will be

effective. We have had a lot of fun filming around the school, even

interviewing some members of staff. Once the editing is finished, we

look forward to sharing the results in the good work assembly!

Year 10

Year 10 have been hard at work completing their BTEC coursework.

They have been analysing media products from the audio/moving

image sector aimed at young people aged 13-19. They have looked at

how genre, narrative, representation and production techniques have

been used to create meaning for their audiences.

FEBRUARY 2020 ISSUE 3

Year 11 pupils visited Raystede Animal Centre. They learnt how to care for and groom

small animals and about the career opportunities available at the centre.

FEBRUARY 2020 ISSUE 3

This term the pupils in year 7 have been working

hard on their ‘safe knife skills’.

The technique you see pupils demonstrating here is

the ‘claw grip’.

This is a good way to hold food safely when you cut.

Year 7

Food Technology

Safe Knife

Skills

Pupils had the opportunity to practice their safe knife skills to make a couscous salad.

FEBRUARY 2020 ISSUE 3

This term in Food Technology, TAS enjoyed making some delicious

‘Mini Toad in the Hole’.

The pupils developed their practical skills in; weighing, measuring,

combining mixture and pouring the correct amount of batter

needed.

FEBRUARY 2020 ISSUE 3

AS2 Food Tech: Describing Food

Pupils in AS2 have been learning how to describe some different

vegetables. They chose and sorted keywords appropriate to each

vegetable e.g. ‘green’ and ‘tree like’ for broccoli. Then, using these

words, pupils wrote a sentence to describe each one.

FEBRUARY 2020 ISSUE 3

History:

The students have been learning about the Norman Conquest and Elizabeth I in year 7. We are looking

forward to a trip to Hampton Court in April to see how the Tudors ate and cooked their food!

Year 8 Historians have been learning about the English Civil War and the Restoration of the Monarchy

and now they are learning about the Industrial Revolution. Our Year 9s have been learning about World

War I and have just begun their new topic on the British Empire.

The students in Year 10 and 11 have been working hard for their mocks and on honing their exam skills.

A trip is being arranged to Upnor Castle to look at the logistics of the Dutch raid on the Medway!

Finally in History, we are looking forward to a visit from the Hastings Museum Education Officer who

is coming to talk to all KS3 student about her job working in the museum.

Geography:

The students in KS4 Geography have made a fab start to the subject (Year 10) and the Year 11 continue

to be mature and conscientious in their efforts, well done! They have been studying Urbanisation and

the Development Gap. We’re going out on our annual field trip for the exams to measure longshore

drift and its effects on our coast.

Year 9 Geographers have been learning about China and are currently learning about Extremes! For

example, we have looked at extreme cities, extreme pollution and now extreme holidays – to Everest!

Whilst Year 8 have been learning about the Coasts and Weather and year 7 have been learning all about

the UK and Rocks!

In an assembly this week, we learnt about trees and have bought one to plant on the school grounds

to encourage us to care for our Environment.

RE and Citizenship:

Year 7 – have been learning about festivals and the students made lovely Diwali lamps and are currently

studying Community and Identity. Year 8 have studied Buddhism and Sikhism and are now currently

looking at the consequences of committing crimes and Youth Courts.

Year 9 have begun a topic on Rights and Responsibilities and have studied Judaism. Year 10 have been

studying Islam and now are looking at Parliament and Democracy.

Year 11 are currently studying Humanism and have looked at Religion and Media.

Finally at Christmas, the students collected and donated at least 20 bags full of items to Hastings

Foodbank in the Advent Food Bag a very big thank you for a generous effort!

FEBRUARY 2020 ISSUE 3

AS3 and Facility News from Emma Catt, AS3 Teacher.

AS3 pupils have been working very hard this term both in class based lessons and in their wider learning. In English,

pupils have completed reading and responding to Roald Dahl’s ‘The Twits’. Some amazing independent writing was

produced for the AS3 ‘Wonder Wall’ to inspire other writers.

In Maths, we have been investigating measuring real

life objects in everyday situations. This is a skill that

requires playing close attention to detail and is good

for developing pupils’ independence. The AS3 class

worked well as a team on supporting each other to

measure regular and irregular shapes and we have

been using a range of tools including rulers, tapes and

measuring sticks.

In Science, we have been learning about

cells, organs and organ systems. We have

had a great deal of fun looking at our own

cells under a microscope and learning

amazing facts. Did you know that we each

have about 300 million skin cells? AS3

pupils found out this fact! KS4 Facility and BTEC pupils made visits to Raystede

Animal Sanctuary this term. The visits enabled the

pupils to develop their awareness of how animals are

cared for, as well as experiencing careers in different

settings. The organisers were really impressed with the

pupils’ behaviour and good questions and we learnt a

great deal about caring for animals great and small!

Each week, AS3 pupils have been taking

part in a range of activities designed to

increase their independence in the local

community. Pupils have been to places of

local interest, shops, museums, galleries

and recreation areas. These activities are

very enjoyable and build confidence in

public areas.

FEBRUARY 2020 ISSUE 3

Art & Design The year 9 and 10 Arts Award students had

a visit from artist Ed Boxall. Ed is working

with us on our ‘Pearls of the Sea’ project.

The students decorated cardboard

rectangles with shape and colour.

Their paintings will be cut up and made into

3D sculptures inspired by artist Anne Ryan.

FEBRUARY 2020 ISSUE 3

Mathematics

In year 7, pupils have begun to look at fractions and recognise equal

parts, non-equal parts and a whole. Pupils investigated different ways

of making a whole.

Pupils have had to sort representations, write fractions shown, shade

fractions and write addition and subtraction number sentences.

FEBRUARY 2020 ISSUE 3

This term in Construction, the Yr 10s have been learning about making timber products. As

part of their course, they have all made a wooden tray. They learnt new techniques for

joining wood such as wood screws and corner halving joints, as well as how to calculate the

amount of timber required. They also learnt how to use new tools such as a plane, thumb

router and marking gauge and the uses of different PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)

and how it can keep you safe.