NORTHFIELD SCHOOL

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& SPORTS COLLEGE

NEWSLETTER June 2012

Dear Parents and Carers

Congratulations to Chair of Governors Les Wadey

My final newsletter of the academic year allows me to share with parents and carers the successes of our students and also report developments for the forthcoming academic year. I feel that we have had another very successful year and that we are continuing to go from strength to strength in many areas. Our students’ academic and sporting achievements continue, the school’s attendance is the highest in its history and the standard of our Leadership and Management has been recognised locally, regionally and internationally. We continue to be a very popular school, indeed we are now oversubscribed in year 9. I would like to start my newsletter by congratulating Les Wadey, our Chair of Governors for his part in the Olympic Torch relay. Les worked tirelessly for the school and deserves the honour of carrying the torch. As you can see Les certainly looked the part. Staff Changes – Academic Year 2011/2012 This term we see the retirement of some very long serving members of staff. John Beddow has been Deputy Headteacher at the school since 1990. Anyone who meets John will quickly become aware of his infectious enthusiasm for teaching in general and his love for Northfield School and Sports College in particular. Congratulations to Richard Henderson who will succeed John as Deputy Headteacher. Caroline Langford leaves the school in September after 17 years service. We will miss Caroline’s infinite patience and her dedication to all her students, particularly those that do not find academic excellence easy. The fact that so many of these students do leave the school with success at GCSE is testimony to Caroline’s outstanding teaching. Sue Rudolph’s energy and enthusiasm for Modern Foreign Languages is considerable. She has enjoyed a distinguished career at Northfield during her 15 years at the school. Sue will be missed by students and staff.

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Jeff Tamblingson, Senior Site Supervisor joined Northfield in 1972 and has provided outstanding service to the school throughout his forty years at the school. Time and again Jeff has gone beyond the call of duty to maintain and improve the school. He has been a supporter of the school and has a clear pride in the success and progress of the school. All staff and students wish the above colleagues a long and enjoyable retirement. Other Staff Leavers

Rebecca Watton (RE/Guidance) after 9 years to become Head of RE at All Saints School Jo Duncan (English) after 20 years to become Teacher of English at St Anthony’s School,

Sunderland Glenda Miller (Maths) after 11 years to spend more time with family Charlotte Booth (Languages) after 2 years to become Teacher of MFL at Egglescliffe School Megan Lara (Science) after 1 year to become Teacher of Science at Harrogate Grammar

School Daniel Graver (Teaching Assistant) to become TA at Catcote School Beth Swash (Science Tech) after 1 year to commence GTP

Future of School The school’s planned move to one site took a significant step forward this month with the council’s cabinet supporting a report outlining plans for improvements to school buildings in the authority. Members of the school’s SLT meet regularly with representatives from the LA and council to discuss the proposed move to one site in September 2013. Initial plans have been drawn and amended after consultation with staff. This term the council and the school will invite local residents to view the plans and to discuss the implications of the new build on local infrastructure. The plans will also be shared with parents and students in the new academic year. World Record Holders! During the half-term break a group of valiant Year 9 student, staff and others managed to break the Guinness World Record for threading bottle tops. The old record stood at 10,000 bottle tops. After several hours and many sore fingers later we finished with a total of over 27,120. Well done to all our record breakers. Those readers of a particular age will no doubt now have the Roy Castle theme tune playing in their heads. School Website The new school website is proving to be very popular with over 28,000 hits since its re-launch at Easter. Our site has been viewed by people in Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia and Japan. A newsletter written by our students is available on the website each half-term. It’s well worth looking out for. Her Majesty’s Jubilee Northfield certainly celebrated Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee in style. Students have been studying Queen Elizabeth II’s reign in all subjects, creating fantastic art work, singing ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ and waving union flags in assemblies, as well, as purchasing ice creams from ‘Dixie’s Ices’. Ever adventurous, our Year 9 students have set themselves the task of wearing red, white and blue to create a ‘human union flag’. The School Games Northfield will host the inaugural opening day of the School Games on the 11th of July. Over 500 Competitors from the Teesside LA’s of Stockton, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Darlington, Redcar and

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Cleveland will compete in a wide range of sports. Celebrities and VIPs will attend the opening ceremony and the event will be covered by local and possibly national media. Sporting Success At the recent Stockton School Games our boys and girls teams were successful in a number of sports. Our girls won the Year 7 and 8 cycling event and were runners up in table tennis and golf and our boys won the golf and table tennis events and came second in cycling. Other sporting successes include: Cross Country

Two students, Callum Martin (Y9) and Liam Ferguson will represent the county at the National Cross-country finals

Seven students represented the school at the Cleveland Schools Cross-country championships

Table Tennis Our students have received coaching in table tennis from England coach Nicky Jarvis with

Eleanor Davidson (Y9) joining the national squad representing the North East region Jane Durham coached the North East Table Tennis Team at the Schools Games in London

Basketball The Year 11 boys team came 3rd in the Teesside Schools Final

Football The Year 8 and 10 boys teams won their respective leagues The year 11 boys team won the County Cup

Futsal Our U-12, U-14 and U-16 students represented the school in a range of events and

competitions Athletics

The schools athletics team came second in the District Athletics Championship at Gateshead Stadium

Safer Schools Day – Tuesday 17th July Due to the success of last year’s Safer Schools Day, we are again inviting staff and students from primary schools to join representatives from the Police, Fire, Ambulance and RNLI services as well as the Mayor, and other VIP’s for a day of celebration and awareness raising activities. Last year we were fortunate enough to receive visits from the Police Dog Handling Unit, fire tenders and the Air Ambulance. I’m sure that there will be equally memorable visitors this year. Northfield’s Budding Picassos Whenever I visit Art classes and look at the displayed work of our students I am always impressed. Indeed I’m so impressed that I feel that our students work should be viewed by a wider audience. With this in mind the Art Department will be turning our Hall at Thames Road into an Art Gallery throughout the week commencing the 9th of July. The gallery will be open to the public from 6.00 pm on Tuesday the 10th of July. I hope that you will be able to visit and view the fabulous art work on display and meet some of the artists. Year 11 Prom 11th July This year’s prom will take place on the 11th of July at Wynyard Hall. Approximately 300 students and staff will say farewell in style. This year, I have extended an invite to parents to join us before the prom begins to take photographs and to see the splendour of so many fashionable frocks and suits. 162 parents have accepted my invitation. The students certainly deserve their big event. Norway Exchange The 24th Norwegian Exchange took place in England between the 8th and 16th of June when 3 male and 5 female students together with 2 Norwegian teachers visited Northfield. A wide range of activities were organised for the week.

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Dates for your Diary Thursday, 5th July - Year 10 Parents Consultation Evening Monday 9th – Wednesday 11th July – Year 7 Kingswood Trip Monday 9th July – Friday `13th July Berlin Trip Monday 9th July – Saturday `14th July Art Week, Tuesday 10th July 6pm Open to public Wednesday 11th July Year 11 Prom at Wynyard Hall Wednesday 11th July – Thursday 12th July School Sports Games Wednesday 11th July – Year 8 River Tees Trip Thursday, 12th July - Year 6 New Intake Parents Evening Monday, 16th to Thursday, 19th July - Activities Week and Year Rewards Assemblies Thursday, 19th July - Start of Summer Holidays for students Friday, 20th July - Staff CPD day Monday 23rd – Friday 3rd August – Olympic Party School Holidays and CPD Days 2012-13 Monday 3rd September – Staff CPD day Tuesday 4th September – Students return to school Monday 29th October– Friday 2nd November Half-Term Monday 5th November – Staff CPD Day Monday 24th December – Friday 4th January Christmas Holiday Monday 18th February – Friday 22nd February Half-Term Monday 1st April – Friday 12th April Easter Holiday Monday 6th May – May Day Monday 27th May – Friday 31st May Half-Term Friday 19th July – Students leave for Summer Holidays Monday 22nd & Tuesday 23rd July - Staff CPD days Craig Walker Headteacher