Summer 2015Kent Literacy Awards 2015Wilmington Academy is very proud to be the recipient of the Kent District and Regional Literacy Awards 2015 for our Hunger Games Festival, which saw tutor groups transforming into Districts and competing in a series of cross curricular literacy challenges. Mr Devlin Head of Apollo College, Miss Marken, Director of Literacy and Mrs Kennedy, Librarian are pictured receiving the award at a presentation ceremony at the Hampstead House Hotel in Sittingbourne.

N. Marken

Summer Reading ChallengeThis year, students at Wilmington Academy are encouraged to head down to their local library and take part in the Summer Reading Challenge. ‘The Guinness Book of World Records’ is working with the Reading Agency to make this year’s challenge the best ever. At their local library they will be issued with a prize booklet to track their progress. All they have to do is read six exciting books from their local library’s collection, collect the six corresponding stickers, and be in the running to win a host of exciting prizes!

You can check out more information about the programme at www.summerreadingchallenge.co.uk. On the website you can also set up your own profile and keep track of your reading progress. Happy reading!

N Marken

Accelerated Reader at Wilmington AcademyAll students in Years 7 & 8 at Wilmington Academy use the Accelerated Reader program. It is a targeted program designed to improve reading ages through regular testing. Each student is assessed and given a reading level and can choose freely from a range of books at that level.

Once students have read their book they take a quiz to assess their level of understanding of the characters, plot, language and themes. A high pass earns them a reward and means they move up a level showing progress.

Students have one Accelerated Reader lesson each week as part of their English Curriculum time but should also be reading at home on a regular basis.

Accelerated Reader is very successful at improving reading ages but more importantly it is fun.

Since September students on the program have read over 65,000,000 words and quizzed on over 6000 books. A word count is generated each time a student reads and quizzes a book and this year six of our students have joined the prestigious Millionaire Club by having read over a million words which is a huge achievement.

Congratulations to Molly Plummer (1,825,423 words), Dylan Ennis (1,697,917 words), Callum Burke (1,506,831 words), Ryan Frost (1,164,078 words), Carlo Sidonio (1,143,292 words) and Taylor Dawson (1,084,625 words).

D. Kennedy

N E W S L E T T E R

Year 8 Art & Business Enterprise ChallengeOn Monday 15 June, Year 8 Art Gifted/Talented students, who have opted to study Business and Art courses next year, were set the challenge of designing, making and marketing innovative products for the visually impaired.

The day started off with students gaining an appreciation of what it is like to have a visual impairment. Firstly, students participated in a wonderful session run by Nicola Forster, a Rehabilitation and Mobility Officer for the Kent Association for the Blind. During the session, students participated in various activities including signing their names whilst wearing visually impairing glasses. Our morning session was finished off by an obstacle course, expertly designed by our P.E. Department. The obstacle course was designed to give students an understanding of what it is like to carry out daily tasks as a visually impaired person, such as walking to the local shops.

These activities provided the perfect basis for students to think about what products they could design to help improve the lives of those with visual impairments. Working in teams in the afternoon session, students collaboratively worked together to design and make prototypes of their products. Students were required to think about and justify the features and unique points of their products, the price they would charge, where their products would be available from, as well as how they would market their new products to their potential target audiences would know about it.

The day finished with students presenting their final product ideas to a Dragon’s Den style panel who eagerly battled out to win investment opportunities within the products. Students demonstrated fantastic creative skills and confidence when presenting. A huge congratulations to the winning team of: Bethany Edwardes, Elise Grigg, Mia Watson, Kylie Tu and Maddison Fairweather, and all other participants, who were a credit to the Academy.

L Evans & T Whitcombe

A Wonderful Year of DramaThe Wilmington Academy Drama Department has worked hard this year to increase the number of Theatre Trips students are invited to attend. Throughout this year the aim has been to have at least one theatre trip per module, with only one exception: the module of the whole school production, Hairspray.

Such an ambitious challenge has been positively received over the year and students, who have never been to the theatre before, alongside those who are regular attendees, have enjoyed everything from Shakespeare to big National Theatre productions.

Trips have included:

• Module 1 – War Horse – National Theatre• Module 2 – Alice on the Underground – Chickenshed Theatre• Module 3 – Othello - Frantic Assembly. Also Frantic Assembly Theatre Company came in for a day-long physical theatre workshop• Module 4 – HAIRSPRAY

• Module 5 – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night time – National Theatre• Module 6 – The Play That Goes Wrong – Mischief Theatre Company

Such variety and regularity is something that we as a department believe inspires students and we are extremely pleased with the outcome.

We would like to thank you for all your support we could not have done it without you.J. Cringle

Maths Across the AcademiesOn Friday 19th June 16 Year 10 students from Wilmington Academy gathered with pupils from other schools across the Leigh Academies Trust at The Leigh UTC for a conference looking at how maths is used in the real world and the careers that have mathematics at their core. Central to the morning were hands-on activities that allowed them to utilise their existing skills and develop new ones.

The Leigh UTC’s Coordinator of Learning for Mathematics, Harroop Sandhu, organised for the members of the Further Maths Support Programme to deliver practical workshops to the most able Year 10 students from the five Academies within the Leigh Academies Trust.

The event was a huge success, allowing the Year 10 students to gain a real insight of how mathematics can further their future career prospects and gain experience of practical activities which really inspired and challenged our students.

Each Academy from the Trust: Wilmington, The Leigh, Longfield, the Leigh UTC and Stationers’ Crown Woods, sent potential A level mathematics students to the event that was supported by the Further Maths Support Network (http://www.furthermaths.org.uk/). Alison Terry, area support for the Network, was delighted by the response. “They have been doing some fantastic hands on engineering related activities as well as finding out more about the range of careers available within A-level in mathematics. The workshops we have provided are designed to encourage more young people to take up A-Levels in mathematics and further mathematics to improve their life chances.”

The students were unanimous in their praise for the experience and it convinced many to study mathematics beyond GCSE.

“It was really interesting to see how they merged mathematics and mechanics together. Today has made me want to take mathematics as an A Level as I see all the careers I could do,” said Josh Murphy (Wilmington Academy).

Director of Improvement for Mathematics at Leigh Academies Trust, Keith Denchfield, said “It was wonderful today to see the smiles and wonder on the faces of students as maths was brought to life. Events such as this are essential for developing the mathematicians of the future, whether they go into industry, business or education. The students are seeing real life application of topics they have learnt or will learn at A Level. In a time where there is a drastic shortage of maths teachers, I have set all the Academies in the Trust a target; develop the mathematics teachers of the future by inspiring a love of the subject at all ages and abilities. After all, someone once did that for them; caught their imagination and a created a desire to take the subject to a

new generation.”K. Larner

Science Success!Eight Year 11 students have secured places at the Earth and Marine Science Summer School, based at the University of Southampton and the National Oceanographic Centre. This fully funded residential event takes place on the 16th-19th July and students will experience an exciting range of interactive and curriculum linked activities to enhance their knowledge of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. Students will develop their presentation skills, personal effectiveness and self-confidence. They will benefit from sessions on the university application process and careers advice. Marine scientists will explore the waters off-shore in the vessel Callista. Earth scientists will explore coastal sites of geological interest including a venture to the Isle of Wight. The Science staff are all very jealous and we wish we were going too!

G. Stringer

Wilmington Science ChicksLast module the Science department were very excited to receive their hens’ eggs, lots of students signed up to care for them. The eggs arrived in an incubator to keep them warm until they hatched, students and staff were fascinated by the hatching process, we learnt how they use their beaks to peck a ring around the top and pop open this lid.

When the chicks had dried off they moved into a large brooding box. Every day the students cleaned them out, fed and weighed them and got a chance to handle them. The students named our chicks Korma, The Colonel, Skittle, Eggna, Charlie the Chick, Wilberforce III, and Chips, Marley, Buddy and Fudge. The students very much enjoyed getting hands on experience and learning about the anatomy of chicks, life cycles, graphing skills, how to care for animals and how to handle them safely.

The hens are now living in a large free-range enclosure in Kent and we get photo updates to see how fast they are growing.

A big thank you to the students to helped care for our chicks. Check out http://wilmingtonsciencechicks.blogspot.co.uk for more photos and information about the chicks.

E. Howe

STEM Club – Module 6Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) club has been focusing on robotics this module. The students have stayed after school to build a “robot hand” from electrical conduit, string and hot melt glue. The hands they built were based on their own hands with joints allowing the fingers and thumbs to open and close when the strings were pulled.

From the hand they moved onto the programming of tiny microcomputers called Arduino. These can be programmed to take inputs from sensors, make measurements and then operate output devices such as lights or motors.

We will be building a line following robot that will automatically follow a line without further intervention by the students. There will be a prize for the fastest most accurate robot!

Many students in the club are volunteering to do Radical Robots during PBL week, knowing that it will be similar, with the aim of helping other students, thus are entering into the spirit of the school.

Several of the students also want to enter the First Lego League (FLL) competition, a global competition involving problem solving by programming and building a robot and solving issues that are in the headlines at the time.

K. Oliver

Robot ChallengeOn Monday 22nd June 2015 eleven members of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths Club (STEM Club) visited the University of Kent, Medway Campus for their Robot Challenge event. STEM Club is a club for Keystage 3 students who want to delve deeper into subjects such as electronics, photography, astronomy and robotics than the syllabus currently allows in class. The robot challenge was an event run by the University of Kent for several visiting school groups.

The challenge for the school teams came in two parts. The first to program and modify a Lego NXT Mindstorms robot to carry out activities on an obstacle covered table. Points were scored for each activity completed, with points deducted if the teams intervened. Secondly, the teams had to create and deliver a presentation to judges on how to solve an aspect of a global problem. This year’s theme was ‘rubbish’.

Eleven students from Wilmington Academy attended the day, forming two teams. Both teams acquitted themselves well and managed to come away with medals!

University students facilitated the day helping with the programming, building of robots and with competition rules and with the guidance and the rules for the presentation. Later at a prize giving they answered questions from the teams about the subjects they were studying; what it is like being a student and what they wanted to do once they leave the university.

I. Irlam

Team Big Hero Six in the arena during the competition.

The two teams showing their medals with the organiser Jane and the University students who facilitated the day.

Year 8 Gifted/Talented Event – Theatre in EducationOn Tuesday 7 July, 60 Year 8 students participated in an event designed to get them thinking about possible future careers and what steps they can take in order to succeed in their chosen areas of interest.

The event, which was facilitated by Performing Arts student-ambassadors from Canterbury Christ Church University, aimed to help students to explore both traditional and non-traditional methods of figuring out what possible future careers inspire them. The event kicked off with students watching a dramatic performance, which helped them to understand the process of choosing a career and how the various choices they make can impact on their chances of success. Students were then given the opportunity to work in small groups with the student-ambassadors in order to think about what steps they need to take in order to pursue their chosen careers. This gave students the opportunity to begin to take ownership of their own journey and learn how they can begin to translate their passions and interests into future career opportunities.

Students thoroughly enjoyed the session; here’s what they thought about the event: “It allowed me to see the different ways you can get into your favourite chosen career.” – Joe “I have gained more confidence in choosing a career for the future.” – Kelsey “It has really motivated me to think about what career I would like in the future.” - Elise

L Evans

SENDWell done to all students who have worked so hard to develop their skills and confidence as successful learners during interventions, lunch time SEN interventions and homework club.

The SEND team send their best wishes and thanks to students, parents and carers for all their support throughout the last year.

SEND Team

Rounders at Wilmington AcademyThe girls have been involved in several rounders tournaments this summer term. Wilmington Academy have hosted two Year 7 tournaments this year and have had a good turnout for both. For many of the pupils this has been their first experience of playing rounders and they have excelled! They have an excellent record beating many established teams in the area and only narrowly losing two games over the whole term. The girls deserve a lot of credit for their effort and enthusiasm for a new sport.

L. Collinson

Athletics RoundupOn the 22nd and 23rd June, the PE department held their annual Apollo and Minerva Sports Days at Dartford Harriers Athletics Track. With over 120 gold medals handed out across the two days, the students were a credit to the Academy, with many showing off their athletic prowess in multiple events.

The overall Apollo Sportsman and Sportswoman of the year awards went to Nathaniel Smith and Maddie Hill in Apollo, whilst Jamie Wake and Rebecca Holloway picked up the Minerva awards.

After a successful Wilmington Sports Day, many pupils qualified to represent the Academy at the Leigh Trust Sports Day, where both Minerva and Apollo beat colleges from UTC and Longfield, losing out only to The

Leigh Academy in what was a highly competitive event.

Gold Medals on the day went to Ben Filer in the Year 7 Shot Putt, Dillon Lamb Year 7 1500m, Charlie Edmundson Year 7 Javelin, Skye Watts Year 7 100m, Sian Simmonds Year 8 Shot Putt, Tom Denyer Vickers Year 8 400m, Kate Parris Year 8 1500m and Sam Homewood in the Year 10 Javelin.

A special mention must also go to Tom Denyer Vickers in Year 8, who followed up his Cross Trust success with a Gold Medal in the 300m at the Dartford and Gravesham District Athletics Competition.

M Slater

Apollo Quiz LeagueThe Apollo Quiz League is progressing well and with only four matches left the competition is hotting up. The Apollo form groups, and their tutors, have been continually enthusiastic, competing against each other determined to beat their opponents and with only six points between the top seven teams anyone could be lifting the trophy.

The current league table:Position Form Points Position Form Points1 A15 28 8 A5 20

2 A14 26 10 A1 18

2 A10 26 11 A3 17

4 A4 24 11 A6 17

4 A9 24 11 A12 17

6 A8 22 14 A7 14

6 A16 22 14 A11 14

8 A13 20 14 A2 14

D. Garratt

Wilmington Academy Head Boy and Head Girl Elections June 2015Fresh from the 2015 General Election, and before attention turns to the EU referendum, staff and students at Wilmington Academy were excitedly planning a vote for the new Head Boy and Head Girl positions.

The election process was formally announced during a Year 12 assembly where students were asked to apply for the positions. After a rigorous application process, nominated students delivered speeches in front of their peers. Each of the candidates delivered a well-considered speech explaining why they believed they should be elected; how they intended to contribute, and what they felt about their school.

Year 12 students and tutors completed ballot slips, and the count was completed; thankfully minus any requests for recounts or bribery accusations. The students felt best able to represent the school as Head Boy and Head Girl, were chosen as George Donovan and Jessica Martin.

Fred Gullifer and Grace Cooper were elected as deputies. Valiant runners up Luke Kemp, Abigail Baskar, and Jonathan Malt were invited to join the Student Voice.

T. Whitcombe

Work Experience 2015The Year 12 students have all been on work experience for two weeks from 22nd June – 3rd July in a variety of placements around the county.

Marc Swain, Spencer Yeboah Mensa, Arjun Puri and Richard Waterman have had an opportunity to see first-hand how design technology can be used in construction whilst working for Willmott Dixon on the new Fairfield pool re-development in Dartford. This placement was set up by a Wilmington ex-student, Dan Ketley, who is himself training in site management.

Other placements have included office work, libraries, catering, primary and secondary schools, shops, vets, childcare, engineering, manufacturing, pharmacies, horticulture, restaurants, travel agents, care homes and the House of Commons.

Nine students undertook a week at the local Army Reserves in Bexleyheath. Their passing out parade was photographed by the Army publication, ‘The Wire’, and was watched by army staff, teaching staff and parents. They managed several marching manoeuvres which they had learnt in just a few short hours, that would normally take regular soldiers over ten hours to become competent in. Winner of the ‘most valuable contribution’ award was won by Anya Everest. All of the students did an amazing job of taking part in some very tiring and complicated problem solving events such as rations, army vehicle assembly and armoury in very hot weather conditions.

Congratulations to all Year 12 students who have taken work experience seriously and once again shown the local community that Wilmington Academy has very reliable and responsible young people.

I would like to thank the tutors for their time making calls and visiting their tutees and

Ms Elson for all her hard work in helping me to coordinate all these placements.T. Murphy

Year 12 Dynamic Dialogue EventEarlier this module, Year 12 worked with ambassadors from Canterbury Christ Church University in order to improve and develop their presentation and public speaking skills.

Activities were designed to stress the importance of making eye contact; use of emotion, body language and using varied pitch when delivering presentations, as well as to improve their ability to react to unplanned events which may occur when they are delivering presentations.

The event was a great opportunity for students to gain skills which they can transfer into their subjects, but also utilise in their chosen future careers. There was also time for informal chats with the student ambassadors about options after Post 16 life, including what university life is really like and non-university options.

“I feel the session was beneficial as it has helped me portray emotions more effectively in presentations and has made me become aware of my eye contact and the importance of engaging with my audience.” – James

L Evans

World Languages DayOn Tuesday 23rd June, the MFL department took 15 of our gifted and talented students to the University of Kent in Medway to celebrate World Languages Day with other schools from the area.

At the start of the day, the students enjoyed a lively play performed by a Spanish theatre group. Afterwards, the students had the opportunity to take part in a variety of workshops, ranging from Indian dance to an introduction to Danish. During the lunch break students had the opportunity to try out their language skills by asking for books and wristbands.

“My first activity was the European quiz. I really enjoyed it because there were challenging questions and I got to meet new people. I got to try out lots of new activities, such as learning German and Spanish. I would definitely go again and try out other activities, such as Indian dancing.” Demi Willats

“My trip to the Medway University was an enjoyable one and gave me an insight into some new languages and cultures. Overall, my experience there was a fun one. I learnt lots and would love to go back.” Elise Grigg

A. Walker

Year 7 Trip to BathThis year’s Year 7 Bath and Bristol trip was a great success. We started our trip with a visit to the Roman Baths. We learned that the Baths were also a temple dedicated to the goddess Minerva - how appropriate for us! Students had the chance to learn about Roman life in England: how trade worked, the differences between village and town life, and the very complicated process of taking a bath.

Our full day out had us visiting At Bristol Science Museum and Planetarium, and the S.S. Great Britain. At Bristol is an amazing centre with hundreds of activities to teach students about the human body, animation, weather, engineering, and space. The planetarium was definitely the highlight of the trip, with an amazing 3D trip to Jupiter, the stars, and a black hole.

The S.S Great Britain was the first ocean liner made from iron, and made several trips across the Atlantic and to Australia. Our students had a chance to see what this beautiful ship looked like in the late 19th Century.

Our final day included a stop at Wookey Hole, where we explored some of the caves and learned about local legends. We also explored a mirror maze, went on a 4D ride to see dinosaurs, and had a very successful visit to the gift shop! It was a fantastic few days, and thanks to our group who were so curious and engaged.

“It was really cool to see all the inventions at the Science Museum, and it was fun at the planetarium.” - George Young

“This was the best trip I have ever had. My favourite part was when we went to Wookey Hole (the 4D movie theatre and mirror maze) and touching the 2000 year old bricks at the Roman Baths.” - Chloe Norris

“This has been a fantastic trip! I really liked the Roman Baths and Wookey Hole. We got to touch really old stones when we went to the Roman Baths.” - Gemma Villiers

“This was a really amazing trip! I really liked the mirror maze at Wookey Hole and also I really liked the Science Museum. It was really interesting.” - Lauren Hubbard

K. Sanders

Year 12 Induction – July 2015This year’s Post 16 Induction has seen students participating in a wide variety of activities including taster lessons, Skills for Success and team building activities and a trip out to the University of Kent.

The taster sessions kicked off the week, with students having a taste of the subjects and content they have chosen to study in September. This allowed students to make more informed choices about the subjects they have chosen and possible future career paths that they could enter from these subjects.

Wednesday saw students participate in various interactive, fun and challenging activities designed to broaden and develop the skills they will need during their Post 16 studies. Activities included designing and cooking a meal out of a set of ingredients, working together to build the tallest tower out of marshmallows and using the Academy library in order to find out information using the Dewey Decimal system. Students had to work together in order to cover a vast amount of activities and reflected upon their performance at the end. Here’s what some of the attendees thought about the day:

“The Skills for Success sessions were really interactive and beneficial. We used and developed skills such as communication, time management and planning. All of these skills will help us when we start our sixth form studies in September. The whole experience has given us the opportunity to meet, work and mingle with new people.” – Sam, Harlie, Jake and Emma.

On Thursday, students attended a Taster Day at the University of Kent. They were met by Student Ambassadors and took part in sessions on Radiography and Sports Science. Finally, to end the week, students participated in a series of team building activities, designed by our PE Department. We certainly ended on a high note – well done to all of the students who participated. We look forward to seeing you in September!

L. Evans

Examination SupportWe are currently recruiting people to act as readers and scribes for students who are entitled to exam dispensation. This occurs mainly in late May to early July. The hourly pay rate is £8.61. If you are interested please contact me via email for more information. nicola.richardson@wilmingtonacademy.org.uk

N. Richardson

ENGLISH STARSDuring the final module of the academic year, our students participated in the POETOPIA Poetry Competition as well as the British Author Study Project Competition.

Students created fantastic and inspirational poems based on one of the six factions: Castitas, Temperantia, Humilitas, Benevolentia, Industria and Dissimilis. We are very proud to announce that 58 students from our Academy will have their poems published in the anthology entitled, Poetopia- The South East by Young Writers.

The British Author Study Competition was an extended, five-week project to engage students with the demands of the New Curriculum as well as to develop their Independent Learning skills. The winners in the Y8 category were: Charlotte Crockford, Elise Grigg, Tyler Manktelow, Demi Willats, Maddison Fairweather, Rachel Barret, Nathan Hambleton, Ryan Evans, Oliver Walton, Kacey Ranking, Charlotte Hocking, Katrina Fordham, Bethany Edwards, Riley Petes and finally Naieem Ajmed. Congratulations to you all and well done!

The final competition is ‘The Grim Tales- Mini Saga’ competition and we are eagerly waiting for the results to be published.

A.Govender

Project Based Learning Week 13th – 16th July Our students will be involved in projects specifically designed to develop their soft skills. Teamwork, problem solving, communication and risk taking are just as important to employers as good qualifications.

Year 7 take part in four exciting projects entitled Animal Antics, Radical Robots, Phenomenal Photography and Magma Murder Mayhem.

Year 8 will be developing their Business and Enterprise skills producing items for sale at a Summer Fayre, with all proceeds going to their chosen charity.

Year 9 are taking part in a Mini Adventure developing and learning about outdoor survival skills culminating in an overnight camping expedition.

Four Chief Executive Officers worth over £19m are amongst 30 different businesses who have volunteered to work with our Year 10 students. Their project is to help them gain insight into the skills and qualifications they will need for a wide range of jobs and professions. Our second annual Careers Fair promises to be every bit as good as our first. Please see our website for more details.

T. Trusler

Bring Your Own DeviceWilmington Academy is launching a leasing scheme to make mobile devices more affordable to parents. Please encourage your son/daughter to look Google Apps for Education over the summer and check the website for more information. We are all very excited about this innovation.

T. Trusler

MINERVA SPOTLIGHT“Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.” Franklin D. Roosevelt

As we conclude another year, I would personally like to thank staff, students and parents for their support in making Minerva College an inspiring and successful community. As one can see from this Newsletter, we have a range of opportunities, talent and pride in what we do. The national landscape of education seems to be forever changing, however, the dedication, hard work and commitment to achieve will always be at our core purpose.

Year 11One can track, monitor, analyse, intervene, supervise, scrutinize and motivate all you want ... but it is ultimately down to the student to want to ‘believe in their self ’ and produce excellent pieces of coursework and exams to attain their potential or beyond. This year group have risen to the challenge set at the beginning of the academic year. It is with great pride that I say that they have been a pleasure to work with. I look forward to seeing positive outcomes and smiley faces on results day in August where students truly feel the value of their conduct in lessons, attitudes to revision and commitment to achieve.

“Year 11 has been a hard year, however, the teachers have been there to support us. As much as it has been a bumpy journey, I feel the year group as a whole has done well. With the SSMs and further support provided by my teachers I feel I have done better than I thought I would. I will really miss the school but looking forward to sixth form at Wilmington Academy.”

Millie Tout – Year 11

Year 9 & 10Year 9 & 10 have been building the foundations and skills to achieve their Level 2 qualifications. From the learning walks, book scrutinies and observations my team have conducted throughout the year, I expect more success to come in future years.

“I picked my options in year 8 and I am doing well in them. I have been working hard in lessons and tried my best at Sports Day. I feel great support from my teachers, SSMs and other students.”

Jamie Dexter - Year 9

Year 8 Year 8 have had important year in choosing their options for year 9 and will look forward to starting their new timetable after the summer. Students have completed various projects and topics within their subjects and explored the potential pathways for their future.

“My form tutor is helpful and kind and I feel safe especially with the Students Services on hand to support me if I need anything”

Bradley Johnson – Year 8

“The form presentations on Wednesday are really beneficial as we learnt about money and family problems. Our form tutors and SSMs are really supportive and try to help with our problems. The end of year assemblies are really fun to watch. All the teachers dance and surprise us with different acts each year. In lessons we learn a lot because our teachers try to help us as much as possible.”

Carina Cooper and Rosie Randall, Year 8

Year 7Congratulations to all Year 7 students who have successfully finished their first year at the Academy. Their conduct and ‘thirst for learning’ has been admirable. The potential of our students from this year group is stunning.

“Being in the Minerva College has been a great experience for me, I have improved my team work skills and improved in various subjects. Sports day has been my favourite day because we all cheered on other students we did not know but wanted them to win just as much as our friends.”

Francesca White, Year 7

“The reason why I wanted to come to this school is because I wanted to learn, achieve and do something with my life. I am pleased to say that I am doing well in lessons and progressing.”

Jimmy Pearce, Year 7

I would lastly like to thank my team: Ms Salih, Mrs Duff, Mrs Penkert, Mrs Nicholls, Ms Woods, Pastoral team and students of Minerva for all of your support throughout the year and wish you an enjoyable and relaxing break.

Mr M Gore, Head of College

As we approach the end of another busy year we can reflect on our many successes and start to consider our priorities for the next academic year. 2014-2015 has enabled us to build on previous successes and develop further. I am really proud of the Minerva students who continue to raise their attainment and develop both socially and emotionally. The College has truly become a community with a shared vision and individuals taking responsibility for their contributions.

One of the highlights for me personally was the recent Sports Day, which was an excellent example of how students work together, support each other and achieve together. Not only was it action packed and exciting, but it also provided an opportunity for students to excel in their chosen field and demonstrate to members of the local community their excellent conduct, for which they were repeatedly praised.

Another highlight for me was during Module 5 and 6 when we integrated a significant number of Hextable, Oasis students. The positive attitude and support of Minerva students was invaluable in making the transition seamless. Our students were a credit to Minerva and Wilmington Academy, demonstrating the qualities that we develop and nurture through our excellent SMSC (Social, Moral,

Spiritual and Culture) programme. Particular praise should go to the individuals who ‘buddied’ new students becoming their personal guides and in some cases mentors.

Finally, I would like to mention the Year 7 Bath and Bristol visit which took place at the end of June. Once again, we received positive comments about the conduct of our students, who were excellent ambassadors for Wilmington Academy. I am sure that it was an appropriate event to finish a very successful first year for the Year 7 students.

May I finish by saying a huge ‘Thank you’ to the staff, students and parents/carers for what has been an excellent year. Best wishes to Year 11, 12 and 13, and I look forward to sharing your successes on results day. I hope that you will all have a restful, safe and enjoyable summer.

T Salih, Assistant Principal

Here we are once again reporting about our exciting year which has gone so fast. There have been so many highlights, not sure where to start.

Earlier this year we both attended the amazing Hairspray production where our very talented students danced, sang and entertained us. It was a wonderful evening.

We were very lucky this year with Sports Day. The weather was perfect, some cloud and a few showers with some sunshine peeking through. Every student took part and contributed to a great day organised by the excellent P.E. team that we have.

Due to the closure of Oasis Academy we have welcomed in over 40 new students, they have all settled in well and hopefully all now feel part of a wonderful community of Wilmington Academy students.

This year’s prom was a great success, held locally at the Birchwood Park Gold Club, our young ladies and gents looked very elegant. Students were entertained by a magician who helped make it a truly magical evening.

We wish all our students and parents/carers a lovely summer. See you in September.S. Duff & T. Penkert

VE Day 70th Celebrations My Sea Cadet Unit got an email asking them if I was able to go to Westminster Abbey and speak in front of the Queen. Of course I said yes!

On the Saturday 11th May 2015 my mum and I travelled to London for a run-through of the service. Everyone else who was doing a reading was as nervous as I was. We were all laughing and joking around on the Saturday but it was completely the opposite on Sunday.

It was so amazing and was such an honour. If someone had told me a month ago that I would be speaking in front of the Royal Family I would not have believed them.

When I got up to speak my heart was pounding and I have never been so nervous in my life.

I was proud of myself as I never thought I could do anything like that.Rebecca Holloway Year 10

AP☼LLO SPOTIGHT“The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.” Vince Lombardi

In many ways this year has flown past, yet it is only when you stop to reflect that you realise just how much has been achieved by our students this year. The Academy has grown in size as the school has become increasingly popular, being the most over-subscribed school in Kent for 2015/16. The new students we have welcomed in have integrated very well and it is evidence of the welcoming and positive atmosphere generated by our students. Two Apollo students who have transferred describe their experiences below:

“Hextable was a really small school and Wilmington is much bigger which was a bit worrying at first but I quickly got used to it. I have found it much easier to move around and the buildings are much more modern. I have made more friends here than at Oasis and I am much happier. There are more people to talk to if I have any problems. The teachers have all been really friendly and really good to work with. The PE department are really good and encourage you to try your best and I really enjoy PE.” - Toby Sears, A5

“I’ve settled in well because at Hextable it was too tightly packed but Wilmington is more spread out. At first I didn’t really know my way around or know many people in Apollo. I’ve now got friends in Apollo and the teachers are nice and I get on with them well. The lessons are good and there are no distractions so you can focus and learn something. My favourite subject is Science and it can tell you where everything began. I really like the advanced stuff and understand some of it and I hope when I’m older I can become a scientist.” - Thomas Hussein, A6

I have been continually impressed by the attitude to learning of our students, who have worked hard in their studies, with the aim of achieving the best possible grade. Our Key Stage 4 students have focused well and taken advantage of the huge array of support on offer at Wilmington in after-school and out-of-term-time revision programmes. All of the students are continually challenged to give their best effort and apply themselves to the task at hand, I can say with pride that our students have risen up to meet this challenge, and if hard work is any indication, the students will be successful this summer.

The offsite activity programme has seen our students go to the United States, France, Spain, Andorra, Germany, Poland and Belgium as well as a huge range of visits in the UK, most notably the Year 7 Bath Trip, which is always popular. As I write this, we are in the final stages of preparing our Project Based Learning week which takes place in the final week of this module, and our students and staff are already looking forward to a host of exciting onsite and offsite activities.

Finally, I would like to wish all the staff, who have worked tremendously hard, the students, who have applied themselves diligently, and the parents whose support is invaluable, a relaxing, refreshing and enjoyable summer.

P. Devlin Head of College

As the Assistant Principal responsible for examinations at Wilmington Academy, I am pleased to report that all of our GCSE, BTEC and GCE examinations ran smoothly this year.

Firstly I was very pleased by the efforts made by both students and parents to ensure that each exam started on time. Year 10 students took formal mock examinations for each of their subjects and it has been clear to see that they were well prepared, having attended the wide range of after school revision classes as well as undertaking their revision programmes at home.

The GCE A- level results will be published on Thursday 13th August 2015. Year 13 students can collect their results between 8.00 and 10.00am so that they can confirm their university places promptly. Year 12 students can collect their results between 10.00 and 12 noon.

The GCSE and BTEC results will be published on Thursday 20th August 2015. Year 11 students can collect their results between 9.00 and 12 noon so that they can confirm their Post 16 and FE places promptly. Year 9 and 10 students that sat exams this summer can collect their results between 12 noon and 1 pm.

If you are unable to collect your results and wish your exam results to be posted to your home you will need to hand a stamped addressed envelope to the main office by the end of term. Please detail your current year group on the envelope.

If you would like a friend or a relative to collect your results for you then you must write a signed letter giving them permission to do this and address it to Mrs L Jackson (Examinations Officer).

As line manager for Gifted and Talented students I have been impressed by the number and range of activities organised by Miss Evans. These included a Year 9 residential Summer School at Canterbury Christ Church University, where students experienced university life and lectures for a week; a Year 8 Business and Art Physical Impairment Challenge to design and market products; a Year 8 Theatre in Education Careers event; weekly KS3 STEM Clubs in Science & Engineering and Photography; a

CCCU Dynamic Dialogue event to develop students’ presentation and public speaking skills and a five-day Marine and Earth Science residential for Year 11 students at the University of Southampton.

Our Year 9 students took part in Miracle Gro’s Chelsea Challenge 2015 which involved carrying out controlled scientific experiments with edible plants. I am proud to say that for the third year running the Horticulture Department was awarded a Silver Gilt Award for the excellence of their work. Kieran Hewitt and Ryan Sinacola represented Wilmington Academy on the Miracle Gro stand at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in June. It was great to see them speak so confidently and enthusiastically about their work to the visitors.

I am also very pleased with the progress that Apollo students in each year group are making across all subjects areas. This bodes well for their success in future GCE, GCSE and BTEC examinations. I can also report that the students who joined us from Oasis Academy have settled in very well and are taking an active role in all Apollo College activities. They made an active contribution to their first Apollo Sports Day with some notable achievements.

B. Dedross, Assistant Principal

SSM SpotlightApollo Sports day is always a highlight of the year for us. We very much enjoy supporting the students all year and this is a great chance for us to have fun with the students and cheer everyone on in the sports they took part in.

We would like to welcome our new students and parents that transferred to the academy from Oasis Academy. We know that this was a difficult time and are extremely pleased at how well they are settling in.

We are all looking forward to Project Based Learning Week; there will be lots of exciting activities for the students to take part in. This week is always fun and the students all have a chance to learn new skills and participate in the events that have been organised for each year group.

The Year 11 Prom was a fantastic evening and the students did a great job organising such a wonderful event, with only a little bit of help. Everyone looked amazing and is an opportunity for the Year 11 students to celebrate all their hard work for their GCSE examinations.

Wilmington AcademyCommon Lane, Wilmington, Dartford, Kent DA2 7DR

01322 272 111 | www.wilmingtonacademy.org.uk All text and images © Wilmington Academy 2011

Newsletter design by Toby @ Genobi Ltd | www.genobi.net

The following students deserve a huge well done on achieving 100% attendance this year, especially as several students were awarded last year for their fantastic attendance. It is not easy to achieve 100% so well done to you all.

Lorna Bloomfield A5 Michael Lister A5Ben Chester A9 Harlie Lovell A11Bradley Cloake, A15 Nicole Mann A11Costin, Thomas A14 Zack McLean A8Amar Dadi A4 Sam Nelson A2Asim Ghani A2 Clarke Newton A12Lewis Holmes A12 Skye Watts A7Thomas Hussein A6 Ben Webb A12Emily Knight A16 Christopher Wells A10Samuel Knowles A13 Callum Wilkins A12Kudita, Hookerstone A15 Temilade Onafowokan A12Ellis Latchford A10 Laura Parker A12Mason Latchford A10 Jake Roake A14Kisna Limbu A16 Samuel Stevens A9Sujan Limbu A8 Simon Walster A7

We wish all the Year 11 students good luck with their future choices. Enjoy your summer break and we look forward to seeing you in September.

Miss Mclean, Mrs Peeling, Mrs Johnson

Key DatesThursday 13th August 2015 A’ Level resultsThursday 20th August 2015 GCSE resultsTuesday 1st September 2015 Year 7 & Post 16 students returnWednesday 2nd September 2015 All students to returnTuesday 29th September 2015 Open Evening 5pm – 8pmThursday 8th October 2015 Post 16 Open Evening