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Ruislip High School NEWSLETTER

Summer 2014

COMMEMORATING WORLD WAR ONE

On Tuesday 1st July, Ruislip High School hosted the grand opening of its World War One trench art installation to commemorate the centenary of the First World War. The trench installation has been a whole-school project, which has taken a year of planning and preparation. Art teacher, Kerry Ferris, has worked alongside Senior Aircraftman Adam Bruerton from RAF Northolt and the Sector Z Operations Room Restoration Team to research, design and create the trench. For the first two weeks of July, the life-size trench was created in the school’s studio space, located within the hub of the school.

The aim of this cross-curricular project was to engage students with the centenary of World War One, enhance their learning about this period of history and demonstrate what the trenches were like. The space was used for History lessons, poetry readings, Drama workshops and World War One workshops. To make the experience as authentic as possible, there were tunnels, different layers, music playing (to create the sound effects of the war) in the background as well as World War One artefacts donated by RAF Northolt along with costumes for the students to wear.

(story continued on page 6)

Above: A view from inside the trench art installation

Above: RAF Northolt Personnel with their guides, Callum Bowers, Harry Castella

and Luke Massingham, 7W

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CONTENTSNews from the Headteacher Page 3

History News Page 4 and 5

Commemorating World War One Continued Page 6, 7 and 8

English News Page 9

Maths News Page 10 and 11

Learning Support News Page 12

MFL News Page 13

Summer Fair Page 14 and 15

Sports News Page 16, 17, 18 and 19

Sports Day Page 20, 21 and 22

10K Sponsored Walk Page 23

LRC News Page 24 and 25

Activites Week Page 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30

Drama News Page 31

Music News Page 32

Cultural Studies News Page 33

Geography News Page 34 and 35

Science News Page 36, 37, 38 and 39

Year 12 Trip Week Page 40 and 41

Bike Week and Gardening Club Page 42

Autumn Term Dates Page 43

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NEWS FROM THE HEADTEACHERMy reflection for this academic year centres on the strength of our school community. Since its genesis in 2006, Ruislip High School has striven to be a school both in, and for, the community. Whilst we are fortunate to occupy a modern building, the strength of a community is much more than the bricks and mortar; it is a reflection of the relationships that exist within the community. I believe there is a strong partnership between parents and the school which has been strengthened this year with the establishment of the termly family-learning evenings and the rebranded ‘Parent Voice’ group. We were also delighted with the continued success of our Winter and Summer Fairs, especially the representation from Ruislip High families and our partnership with The Friends of Ruislip High School.

I feel extremely fortunate to work with such a dedicated staff who are always willing to take on additional projects and activities to enrich students’ education both in and out of the classroom. I am sure parents agree that Ruislip High has an extensive enrichment programme, including a diverse range of day and residential trips. The ‘Above and Beyond’ programme would not be possible without the commitment of staff who volunteer to lead and/or supervise the different activities. It is a privilege to work in a school community with staff who are committed to going ‘the extra mile’.

Words cannot describe how proud I felt on Tuesday 1st July during the official opening of the World War I Trench. It was such a memorable occasion for the school. There was representation from all the main partners in our local community, including students and staff from Ruislip Gardens Primary School, air men and women from RAF Northolt and parents, students, governors and staff from Ruislip High. Our students’ faces the following day showed how proud they had felt to be involved in the event. I trust parents have enjoyed watching the television coverage by BBC London News, which is still available on the VLE.

The Year 11 Prom was such a wonderful evening. It reflected the respect and trust that exists between our staff and students, which was evident when the staff performed their first ever RHS flash mob; a strong community can definitely have fun together!

The staff continue to celebrate students’ successes especially through the termly celebration assemblies. In addition, the Year 11 and 13 leavers’ assemblies this year were a fitting tribute to the students’ journey throughout their time at Ruislip High School. Both events reflected our school’s logo of ‘from grass roots, to reaching for the sky’, which I believe is made possible by our strong school community.

I have every confidence that our focus on the community is one of the main reasons why students, parents, governors and staff feel proud to be a valued member of Ruislip High School.

Above: Dr Lecky, the Mayor of Hillingdon, Catherine Dann, Mayoress,

Rita Kilroy and Ms Ferris. Left: Mr Moynihan with Year 11 students

at the Year 11 prom

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Year 7Year 7 students have been working very hard this term investigating whether the Black Death was a disaster. Judging from the assessments so far, it’s hard to say whether Year 7s think it was a disaster or not! Earlier on in the term, the department was very impressed with the effort Year 7 students had put into building their Motte and Bailey or Stone castles. The winners from each class were:

7A: George Deacon7B: Nia Grundy7C: Lewie Geen7D: Rechea O’Connor-Mitchell7F: Molly Simpson and Louise Thompson7S: Nancy Liss7W: Samantha Holland and Kayleigh Holland

The best overall castle was revealed at the Celebration Assembly at the end of term. Congratualtions to Samantha Holland and Kayleigh Holland, 7W.

Here are some pictures of the best castles that are on display in the LRC.

The Year 7s were also very excited about the opportunity to take part in lessons in July that took place in our trench!

Year 8The Year 8s have been learning about slavery – how it came to be that Africans ended up in America working on plantations, for the British and Americans to benefit. Parents should ask their son/daughter about this fascinating and tragic part of the history of our country and the world. All History teachers have continued to be very pleased with the high standard of the Year 8 students’

HISTORY NEWS

Above: Ms Horton takes her Year 7 lesson in the trench

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work. The Year 8s are now learning about the struggle for Civil Rights in America and will soon link this into an in-depth study of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. They will study detailed evidence and come up with their own theories of what happened on that fatal day in 1963.

The Year 8s have also had the opportunity to take part in lessons in the trench that was built in the cuboid to commemorate the Centenary of the First World War.

Year 9 Year 9s have been studying the life in the trenches, democracies and dictatorships and World War Two. Over Easter, Year 9s wrote war diaries about life in the trenches. The standard of World War One diaries was phenomenal with many students exceeding their target grades quite significantly. Some of them were displayed in the World War One trench that Year 9 have helped to create.

The department was extremely impressed with how the Year 9s conducted themselves so maturely and thoughtfully whilst learning about the First and Second World Wars and the Holocaust during Activities Week. They visited either RAF Northolt or RAF Hendon and went to see the stage production of Warhorse in the West End. They also spent the day in workshops learning about events leading up to the Holocaust and studied testimonies of the differing experiences of Holocaust survivors. A special assembly was held whereby a local Holocaust survivor, Bettine Le Beau, came in to tell them her own experiences. The students were gripped by her testimony and came up with excellent questions to ask her. The History department is sure that Bettine’s testimony will stay with the students and help them to remember why it is so important to remember the Holocaust.

The History department is delighted to have the biggest ever uptake for GCSE History from this cohort, with two-thirds of the Year group having chosen it. The History teachers hope the Year 9s are excited to begin their career as professional historians!

Year 10Year 10s have finished their study of Weimar and Nazi Germany and will sit the exam on this in the summer of 2015. They have worked exceptionally hard on their Controlled Assessments on China under Mao and can congratulate themselves on having 25% of

their GCSE History grade secure. Students will now begin the fascinating study of Crime and Punishment Through the Ages, working towards an exam that will also take place next summer. I would like to encourage Year 10 students (and I am sure the current Year 11s would agree!) not to leave all of their revision until next spring and summer, but to start now!

Year 11Year 11s worked exceptionally hard in the lead up to their final examination. The students were grateful to Mr Davies, Deputy Headteacher, for giving up his time to lead revision sessions. Teachers of Year 11 History hope to see lots of smiling faces on results day in August.

Year 12Year 12s have also been working hard to prepare for their two exams and are now back in school starting the Year 13 course; the department hope they will enjoy and work just as hard for the A2 examinations.

Year 13Year 13s have now finished and the History department would like to wish them the best of luck in their future paths. Good luck, in particular, to Luca Everett, Emily Fishman and Guinevere Nicholls who are intending to study History at universities including Cambridge and Warwick. They are Ruislip High School’s historians of the future! Special thanks to Ms Horton who used her expertise to tutor Emily and Luca in their Oxbridge applications.

M. PoultneyCurriculum Leader for History

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COMMEMORATING WORLD WAR ONE CONTINUED...

‘Ruislip High School has the largest intake of RAF Service Children in the area so I wanted to create a project that would appropriately commemorate the centenary of the First World War. Creating a trench experience which involves all of our students, local primary schools, RAF Northolt and the local community seemed like the perfect idea. It has been an incredible project to work on and the students have really enjoyed creating all the different parts of the trench during their lessons.’ Kerry Ferris, Art Teacher at Ruislip High School

It was a fantastic event attended by The Worshipful the Mayor and Mayoress of Hillingdon, Councillor Catherine Dann and Mrs Rita Kilroy, Group Captain Bacon, Station Commander at RAF Northolt, RAF Northolt personnel, members of the Sector Z Operations Room Restoration Team, parents, governors and staff. Students from Ruislip Gardens Primary School also attended and they brought along their Warhorse creation that they had made. The evening began with a speech from

Dr Martina Lecky, Headteacher, and then The Worshipful the Mayor, Councillor Catherine Dann officially opened the trench. This was followed by a Drama performance by Ruislip High students and poetry readings from Ruislip Gardens and Ruislip High students.

World War One beverages were served throughout the evening along with World War One tasters; these were made during the Family Learning Food Workshop earlier on in the day. Tours of the trench were available all evening.

Ruislip High School were very excited about this amazing experience for students and the opportunity it provided to re-enforce its strong community links. To add to the excitement, BBC London News came down to film KS3 students having one of their lessons inside the World War One trench. The item was shown on the 1:30pm and 6:30pm news on Wednesday 2nd July. Both news items are available to view on the VLE.

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Left and Above: A selection of photos of the World War One trench art

installation at Ruislip High School and the grand opening event

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Above: A selection of art pieces and props inside the trench; Mr Duley and Mr Underhill from Eastcote Royal British Legion visit the trench. Mr Underhill is wearing a poppy that dates back to the First World War and Ms Ferris and Senior Aircraftman

Adam Bruerton from RAF Northolt

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ENGLISH NEWSYear 7Year 7 students have started the term reading an adaptation of Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’, using role play to act out parts and discussing the moral questions regarding Frankenstein’s decisions to create monsters. Now they have moved on to learning about Shakespeare’s life and plays and studying ‘The Tempest’ in depth.

Congratulations to Samuel Dix 7A, Macey Taylor 7B, Nicole Kosmider 7C, Lauren Thorpe 7D, Molly Simpson 7F, Daniel Yehambaram 7S and Katie Cayless 7W for winning Year 7 English prizes this term.

Year 8Year 8 students have been studying Romeo and Juliet and enjoyed a performance and workshop of the play by the Young Shakespeare Company. They are now reading a class novel, either Frank Cottrell Boyce’s ‘Millions’ or ‘Face’ by Benjamin Zephaniah.

Congratulations to Jack Saunders 8S for winning the Year 8 prize for effort and Alex Cox 8F for winning the Year 8 prize for achievement.

Year 9Year 9 students have started their GCSE course, focusing first on the unseen poetry section of the literature exam, and moving onto the non-fiction reading section of the language exam. They are also using the film ‘Titanic’ as a tool for a range of speaking and listening activities, including arguing who was to blame for the scale of the disaster.

Congratulations to Alicia Crowther 9C for winning the Year 9 prize for effort and Tamsin Haynes 9A for winning the Year 9 prize for achievement.

Year 10Year 10 students have now finished all of their Controlled Assessments and are preparing for their English Language and English Literature GCSE exams in Year 11. They have worked extremely hard on their Controlled Assessments and we look forward to seeing great results from this year group next year!

Congratulations to Rosemarie Allan 10A for winning the Year 10 prize for effort and Ryan McShane 10F for winning the Year 10 prize for achievement.

Year 11, 12 and 13The exams are now over and our Year 11, 12 and 13 students worked incredibly hard in preparing for these. We look forward to celebrating in August!

NEW HEAD BOY AND GIRL ANNOUNCEMENTThe new Head and Deputy Head Boy and Girl were announced this term: Head Girl - Hattie Simmons Deputy Head Girl - Charlotte McBrayneHead Boy - Anurag Mathur Deputy Head Boy - John Boundy

Congratulations to them all on their appointments.

Above: Students enjoy the performance of Romeo and Juliet by the Young

Shakespeare Company

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It has been another busy term in the Maths department!

Year 7 Hillingdon Maths ChallengeThe annual Hillingdon Maths Challenge event was hosted again this year by Abbotsfield School. This is an extremely successful event which has taken place over many years in the Borough, which the Mayor has attended in the past.

This prestigious event took place on Thursday 3rd July 2014. Ruislip High School put together a formidable team of four Year 7 students who represented the school on the evening: Daniel Parry, Aoibhin Eldrett, Mark Lewington and Nick Pannu. The students who took part in the event have demonstrated the ability to work as part of a team and also have excellent problem-solving and logic skills.

The competition consisted of a number of rounds, and prizes were awarded to the participants and winning teams.

The students attended regular early morning practice sessions and performed really well.

The results are below:

1st- Barnhill Community High School2nd – Haydon School3rd- Bishop Ramsey School

Year 9 A group of Year 9 students are currently engaged in a project launched by a group of research students attending University

College London (UCL). The project, called SiMPLE@CoMPLEX is an outreach initiative that aims to introduce school children to the idea of Mathematical modelling of Biology. The members of the group are passionate about using Mathematics to study

Biology and they have devised a programme to enable them to share their knowledge with the next generation of scientists!

The project is called “Why aren’t all penguins criminals?” and is based on penguin nest-building behaviour, whereby penguins build their nests either by foraging for rocks or by stealing rocks from other penguins.

The Year 9 students are to design and use a board game to represent this scenario, where the rule-set is equivalent to a mathematical model. The students play the characters representing the foraging and stealing penguins. The lesson is based around a clip from the BBC’s Frozen Planet series and the aim is for the students to use Mathematics to prove that it is not in the interests of all penguins to be criminals.

This is a national initiative whereby the students have an opportunity to enter a national competition with the aim of presenting their work at UCL.

Exams A group of twenty-two Year 10 students were selected for an early entry GCSE due to their outstanding achievement this year.

The group voluntarily attended after-school revision sessions up to three times a week. During these sessions more new topics were introduced and known topics were consolidated.

The students expressed a great enthusiasm and keenness to do well. The sessions were well-attended and confidence was high once the exam date arrived.

Good luck to all students who sat exams, including Year 11s who took the Free Standing Maths Qualification.

Miss Najjar and the Mathematics faculty wish them all the best and look forward to the students receiving excellent results in August.

Core kick-start Programme (CKS) Following the success of the CKS programme, last year a number of Year 6 students and their parents have again been invited to Ruislip High School to take part in the numeracy programme targeting a ‘level 4’ achievement. The programme focuses on teaching key numerical skills in an inventive and engaging style, as well as providing

MATHS NEWS

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the students and parents with the chance to familiarise themselves with the school building and staff.

Some of the parents have expressed their gratitude at being given the opportunity to re-learn aspects of the curriculum and gain a better understanding of how students are taught and assessed in school. The school has been impressed with the dedication and effort shown by the Year 6 students – longmay it continue!

Summer Holiday Revision for allIt is a good idea to keep the brain active during the summer months of sun and relaxation.

The students can be reminded that there is a mathematics-based brain training activity on the school’s VLE.

The activity is called 10-4-10 where the students are encouraged to do ten minutes of mathematics each day for ten days, take a day’s break and then off again…

A wide range of worksheets have been uploaded onto the VLE from Level 4 to Level 8; therefore all levels of abilities are catered for. The students should dip in at the most

appropriate level but the challenge is also there if they want it.

The answer sheets have also been included for guidance. If students wish, they can make a note of any areas of difficulty, which on their return to school in September, the Maths Doctor will be happy to go through with them.

For the students who prefer a less formal approach, they can visit the following Maths games websites: • www.coolmath.com • www.mymaths.co.uk • www.transum.org • www.multiplication.com

PRIMARY SCHOOL LINKSRuislip High School students in 9B, 8C, 7A and 7D have been working with one of our feeder primary schools, Field End Primary School, in an Integrated Arts Project called “Who do you think you are”.

The project was envisioned by a Year 1 teacher, Mrs Dash, who wanted students from reception, Year 1 and Year 2 to think about their heritage and background. Field End students were asked to design an image meaningful to them and their family. This image was then transferred onto fabric using textile techniques such as applique, embroidery and block printing. Ruislip High school students visited these classes to help the younger students with their designs. The designs were created on squares of fabric and have now been sewn together to represent a patch-work quilt symbolising the community that is Field End Primary School.

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The Learning Support Faculty (LSF) led a trip to Whipsnade Zoo on Wednesday 9th July 2014.

The students who visited the zoo were James Hillier, James Payne, Ashwathi Soman and Maleeha Chatur and they were accompanied by Mrs Taylor, Mrs Hunter and Ms Cooney. The day was a huge success and the weather was glorious.

During the day staff and students enjoyed a lovely picnic near the elephant enclosure and boarded a land train to see the animals in their natural habitat. They also had an opportunity to visit and pet the goats in the new petting area.

Maleeha loved the wild wallabies that roamed around the zoo and said “They were really nice”. One of the main highlights was the baby giraffe.

James Payne said “The trip was amazing. I liked seeing the giraffes”.

Ashwathi Soman said “I will have many nice memories”.

The day ended with a visit to the ice-cream truck whilst watching the flying parrots. It was the perfect end to a fantastic day.

Special Educational Needs (SEN) and English as an Additional Language (EAL) Presentation Morning

LEARNING SUPPORT NEWS

A group of students shared information about themselves during an inspirational event on Wednesday 11th June. Parents and staff enjoyed a selection of PowerPoint presentations in the Learning Resource Centre (LRC).

The students who took part included Jemma Kemp, Sophie Impey, Rosemarie Allan, Ajay Mepa, John Day, Saharla Warsame, Sultana Kamal, Talal Kharsa, Matthew Grogan and Ivy Zhang.

The theme of the presentations was “About Me”. Each presentation was extremely informative and not only provided details about the students but also about their country of birth.

Sophie Impey said “I really enjoyed showing parents my presentation as it built it up my confidence”.

Ms Gouws, Mrs Taylor and Mrs Austen were judges on the day and awarded prizes to the following students:

Ajay Mepa 7F – First PlaceRosemarie Allan 10A – Second Place.

Matthew Grogan said “It was good to see so many parents watching”.

Whipsnade Zoo

Above: SEN and EAL students pose for a picture with their prizes

Above: Students and staff during their visit to Whipsnade Zoo

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Barcelona Trip 24th-28th May 2014

MODERN FORGEIGN LANGUAGES NEWSThirty-eight students, made up of Year 9 and Year 10, visited Barcelona during May for five days. The group stayed in Salou, a beachside resort about an hour from Barcelona. On the first day, students got to explore the hotel and use the swimming pool. On Sunday, students were set a task to explore the town and collect specific information about Salou and the surrounding areas using their Spanish. Students worked in teams of three and completed the task with enthusiasm. They spent the afternoon at the beach playing football or going for a walk along the sand before going back to the hotel to enjoy some time by the pool. In the evening both staff and students played volleyball together on the beach, which was a great bonding experience for the group.

On Monday, the students visited Barcelona for the day. This included visiting the Camp Nou Stadium, having lunch at a viewpoint overlooking Barcelona, visiting the Poble Espagnol, driving past Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia and having some free time on the famous Las Ramblas to soak up the Spanish way of life. On the Tuesday, students spent a full day at PortVentura theme park, followed by a last evening in Salou for some shopping and beach games.

Quotes from students when asked to comment on their five favourite things

about the trip are as follows:

“Visiting Barcelona - it was fun and we saw lots of new things” (Nikita Shah)“Experiencing new places and being able to speak Spanish” (Lauren Finnigan)“Getting to practise my Spanish as it makes me feel more confident” (Ryan McShane)“The beach - friendships grew with other people in the group” (Sajid Abou El Hassan)“I enjoyed experiencing a new culture, doing lots of new things and making lots of memories” (Jessica Ashe)An ‘even better if’ from Reece Barnes: “The only thing which would make the trip better is if we spent more time there!”

The group had lots of fun and were very enthusiastic about using their Spanish in an authentic context and learning about the Spanish culture. They were a pleasure to take on the school trip for five days!

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SUMMER FAIRThe Ruislip High School Summer Fair, which has now become a popular local community event, was held on Friday 20th June. The evening (fortunately the weather was good!) was again a resounding success in terms of students’ participation as well as support from the local community, staff participation and a fun atmosphere throughout the event. The main theme for this year was the World Cup which was a huge success as students celebrated the distinct cultures and cuisines from around the world. As usual, judging the best stalls was a very difficult decision but the final results are below:

WinnerChina - 9A and 9C

Runners UpMexico - 10B and 10WWilly Wonka - 10CWimbledon - 7F and 10A

The Friends of Ruislip High School also contributed significantly to the evening and ran a very successful barbecue and Pimm’s stall. As usual there was plenty to keep students and adults occupied throughout the evening including a range of fairground attractions, a football tournament and a range of performances from the extremely talented Ruislip High School singers and musicians.

Above and Right: Students enjoy the activities and stalls at the annual Summer Fair

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SPORTS NEWSHillingdon Borough Junior Athletics ChampionshipOn the 24th June, thirty-one Year 7 and Year 8 students competed in the Hillingdon Borough Junior Athletics Championship. It was such a successful day! The sun was shining and all of the secondary schools from the Borough were represented. The Ruislip High students were nervous knowing that they were going to be up against the best athletes Hillingdon has to offer.

As the morning wore on, however, it became clear that it was going to be a successful day for RHS, with places in the afternoon’s finals being secured and some medals already being awarded to students. The confidence within the team was growing and so was the medal haul.

By the time the day had finished, Ruislip High School had secured eight medals, including four golds! Below is a list of all the students involved including details of medals won. A special mention to Abigail Ballard who took part in two individual events (800m and High Jump), in which she won two gold medal. Well done!

Year 7 Boys• Helcias Rodrigues 7W• Tyreese Joseph-Scott 7A• Luke Massingham 7W• Sam Harvey 7W• Owen Hodson 7W• Harry Castella 7W• Sharwin Gurm 7S• Tariq Arieff 7D

Year 7 Girls• Leah Mawson 7A• Nicole Leys 7S• Nia Grundy 7B – Long Jump: Silver

Medallist – 150m: Bronze Medallist• Abigail Ballard 7D – High Jump: Gold

Medallist – 800m: Gold Medallist

• Charlie Bennett 7S• Lillie Martin 7C• Niamh Reynolds 7B Year 8 Boys• Brandon Sanchez 8C• Samisek Rai 8A – Triple Jump: Gold Medallist• Cameron Deacon 8A• Jack Binding 8F• Hugh Nolan 8W• Altay Shaw 8S• Byron Emerenini 8C• Daniel Smith 8W Year 8 Girls• Chloe Hernandez 8S• Klaudia Stankiewicz 8D – Long Jump:

Silver Medallist• Thandeka Lanlehin 8C• Georgina Hookway 8B• Evie Hanson-Smith 8F• Jasmine Baragwanath 8W – High Jump:

Silver Medallist• Lucy Garner 8A• Esme McLellan 8A – Discuss: Bronze Medallist

Congratulations to all those students involved. As always, they were a credit to Ruislip High School, not just in terms of medal success, but behaviour, effort and team rapport.

Senior Borough Athletics Championships at Uxbridge trackOn Friday 23rd May, a number of Year 9 students took part in the Senior Borough Athletics Championships at Uxbridge track. They behaved impeccably, even though it rained for the majority of the day.

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The following students did exceptionally well: Ruby Hill: 1st Place in the JavelinHyaris Pun: 3rd Place in the long jumpAlfie Smith: 3rd place in the 1500m

Middlesex Athletic ChampionshipsThe following students were selected to represent Hillingdon at the Middlesex Athletic Championships on their distances thrown:

Sophie Dowson: Pole Vault (club distances)Ellie Chandler: Hammer (club distances)Ruby Hill: Javelin (from borough athletics)

Mrs Dowson said, “Sophie performed really well and won the event with a personal best of 3.31m. I was very proud of her especially because she hasn’t had a lot of experience at big events yet. Sophie tried for 3.41m but unfortunately didn’t clear the height and hit her head. She had a check-up at the hospital where she received a short lecture about dangerous sports and it was suggested that Sophie should consider changing event. Sophie thought this was hilarious! She loves her chosen event and knows that injuries are just part of it.

She will be older and wiser next year, less nervous and the right age for the U17s. She is even more determined now!”

CricketYear 7Highlights from the Year 7 Cricket team this term include Sebastian Holm getting a hatrick of wickets, excellent wicket keeping from Stephen Graham and some fast bowling from Sam Harvey.

The Year 7 team have a strong base to build on with Sam Harvey, Harry Castella and Ben Roberts all playing for local clubs.

Year 8The Year 8 team got off to a strong start against Bishop Ramsey and achieved a comfortable win against Queensmead. They had a good run in the Middlesex Cup, which meant that they went to Compton High School for a place in the final. The whole team played really well but unfortunately due to some controversial playing conditions, they

did not make it to the final this year.

Year 10The Year 10s were unfortunately knocked out of the Middlesex Cup due to some very good bowling from the reigning champions, Vyners. It was an excellent all-round performance from the Year 10 team.

The overall highlights this term have been the Middlesex Cup runs and the Year 7 game against Queensmead.

Match Reports for 2014 Football Finals Y7, Y8, Y10 and Y11Y7 Football Final vs Bishop RamseyFinal Score: 6-1 to Ruislip High School

The Year 7 team came into the cup final full of confidence and it showed in the first twenty minutes as Ruislip gained a 4-0 lead. Ethan Jakeman scored first, followed by goals from Freddie Hughes, George Deacon and Captain, Luke Massingham. Bishop Ramsey got one back, but Ruislip defended well and maintained their advantage until the half-time whistle. In the second half, Ruislip maintained their dominance with goals from Luke Massingham and Ethan Jakeman. Sam Harvey pulled off some great saves in goal as Bishop Ramsey tried to reduce the deficit. Well done to the Year 7s who in their first year playing together have won the Borough plate. Hopefully there will be more medals and trophies to follow in the future.

Above: The Year 7 Cricket team

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Y8 Football Final vs Queensmead

Final Score: 3-1 to Ruislip High School

The Year 8 Boys won their final and as a result are Year 8 Borough Champions. Hugh Nolan scored a hat-trick (all superb goals) and Daniel Clubb saved a penalty at 1 – 0. A great effort from all involved.

• Dan Clubb• Liam Morrison• Jay Darrant• Daniel Smith• Luke Massingham• Harry Bates• Hugh Nolan (Man of the Match)• Cameron Deacon• Adam Abbott• Samisek Rai• Jack Hyde• Samir Hassan• Charlie Perkins• Stanley Crisp (Captain)

Y10 Football Final vs HarefieldFinal Score: 3-1 to Harefield

Unfortunately the Year 10 boys were unable to overcome Harefield Academy in their final, losing 3 -1. The boys played well and remained committed right to the final whistle. It was a huge achievement for them to make the final. An outstanding goalkeeping performance from Ryan Doherty kept the team in the game and Bradley Baker and Mason Baker worked tirelessly for the cause. Daniel Abbott came close to scoring on several occasions. Sam Mummery and Billy Cauldwell were superb in defence showing great leadership skills throughout.

Y11 Football Final vs QueensmeadFinal Score: 2-0 to Ruislip High School

The Y11s won their final game against Harefield Academy in convincing fashion. It was a game the Y11s had been looking forward to for five years. The starting line-up consisted of Jake Mitchell, Niall Scanlon, George Butler, Daniel Herbert, Adam Fowler, Waqar Araf, Sam Arnett, Lewis Cooper, Harry Baulch, Fearghal McGlinchey and Billy Twomey. Anthony Sheehy was on the bench, if required.

Above: The Year 7 Football team

Above: The Year 8 Football team

Above: The Year 10 Football team

SPORTS NEWS

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The first half finished goalless although the team could have easily gone into the break with the advantage. In the second half, Harry Baulch scored two good goals assisted by Billy Twomey and Lewis Cooper. There were stand-out performances from George Butler and Jake Mitchell. The Y11s were superb throughout and have shown great spirit and attitude this season. Well done to all involved and a big thank you to Mr Moynihan for coaching.

RoundersAnother outstanding year for rounders. All three teams made Ruislip High very proud. The teams displayed some fantastic fielding and high scoring batting throughout all of their games as well as great team work.

Year 7:Congratulations to the year 7 rounders team on winning the Hillingdon Borough league final this term against Bishopshalt 12 ½ -7 ½. The team played fantastically, and have been unbeaten during the whole Summer Term.

• Niamh Renyolds • Nicole Leys • Louise Thompson• Ella Pierre• Luck Barkshire • Luke Massingham • Sam Harvey• Steven Graham• Ethan Jakeman • Kyle King• Charlie Bennett • Nia Grundy (played all summer except the

final due to a music exam)

Year 9The Year 9 rounders team won the League on Tuesday 15th July. The team played outstandingly; even the teacher from the opposition praised them for their team work and skill level. After four months of rounders games, winning every game they have played, the Year 9 team had the hardest game to play - the final. They won 22 ½ to 5 rounders, an amazing score.

• Rawn Seale (captain)• Josh Magan• Jamie Lorkins• Joe Donoghue• Luke Thompson• Harry Simpson• Isabelle Charge• Emma Wallace• Ruby Hill• Nicole Agnew-Menibaeva• Stepping up from the Year 8 team- Missy

Goodchild

Above: The Year 11 Football team

Above: The Year 7 rounders team

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SPORTS DAYOn Tuesday 8th July, Ruislip High held its second Sports Day at the Uxbridge athletics track.The PE department would like to congratulate all the students who took part; it was a huge success and there was a wonderful team spirit throughout the day. There are now some excellent Sports Day records to break next year! The students and staff were joined by a BBC film crew from ‘The One Show’ who were there to interview students and staff about gender stereotypes in sport for a news item that was shown on Wednesday 9th July.

Year 7

Year 8

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Year 9

The winning form for Year 9 is …..9A after a tie break quiz. The winners received a gold medal and all the results will be available for parents and students to view on the VLE.

Above and Right: Students show off their medals they won during

Sports Day

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Above: Students compete in another successful Sports Day

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10K SPONSORED WALK Students took part in our, now, annual 10K sponsored walk on Monday 7th July, starting at the Willow Tree Centre, through Ruislip Woods by the Lido and back to the Centre. Students spent the afternoon having a barbecue lunch and taking part in sports activities before returning to school. All students completed the walk and their sense of achievement was obvious by the cheers as they crossed the finish line.

The annual Sponsored Walk during Activities

Week

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Book ClubIt has been another busy month for the Learning Resource Centre (LRC) with the long-awaited Hillingdon Book of the Year awards taking place, one of the

main annual events hosted by the School Library Service. Year 8 Book Club students who took part were fantastic ambassadors for the school; not only did the students write their own scripts and make their own props, but they also put together their own costumes. Of the six books shortlisted for the award, the students voted for ‘Doll Bones’ by Holly Black to win and based their play on a scene from the book. The group rehearsed every week for six months to perfect their performance and it certainly paid off as the students performed extremely well on the day, receiving a lot of positive comments from other schools.

Many congratulations to the Year 8 Ruislip High students who took part: Lucy Garner, Isobel Liddle, Altay Shaw, Amy Strolia, Thuvaraka Subramaniam, Tilly Travers andStacy Zwierzyk-Teles.

Author visit to Hillingdon Book of the YearThe Book Club students were fortunate to meet the very talented author, Sam Enthovan, who talked about his love of books and writing imaginative stories, such as Black Tattoo, TIM and Crawlers. His humorous stories and conversations with the students kept them enthralled.

Year 7 and 8 ‘Above & Beyond’: Creative

Writing ClubThe Creative Writing classes are continuing to prove successful with 100% attendance. The classes were originally set up to help selected Year 7 students improve their literacy skills, but the club has now expanded into Year 8 with many students joining who love writing and creating their own stories. Much of the students’ writing is of a very high standard and the school is looking into the possibility of getting the stories published later in the year.

Hot off the pressFrom September, RHS will be launching Accelerated Reading. This is an online reading and literacy programme, which aims to motivate students of all ages and

abilities to read more, and raise their literacy levels and standards. The programme will also help teachers identify issues with reading and literacy early and encourage a life-long love of reading. Students will initially take a short reading test online which will instantly show their reading age and ability, and then they will be guided to the correct reading books.

Students will go to the LRC on a regular basis to use the computers to read a book and answer a quiz online. From the results, reports will be generated containing all the information from the findings and staff will continually monitor the progress of students’ levels. Relevant information will be passed on to teachers for further intervention if needed.

Parents/guardians will also be able to get involved and see what their children are reading and how well they are doing. They can also help by encouraging their children to read.

LRC NEWS

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HillingdonFirst card: For Hillingdon residents who own a HillingdonFirst card, not only does it give special parking rates and discounts at several shops and services, it also acts as a library card. This allows Hillingdon residents to become a member of any of the seventeen libraries in Hillingdon, which have now all been refurbished and updated. Cardholders should go to the library, present the card, which will then be activated, in order to borrow books immediately and use the library facilities.

Missing BooksAlthough a large amount of overdue books have been returned, there are still many past their return date despite numerous reminders. It would be very much appreciated if all parents/guardians would have a look at home to see if there are any books belonging to the LRC, as the cost of replacing these books is extremely high. If books are found, they should be returned to the LRC and placed in the return box.

Mrs AustenLRC Manager

Quiz Time Answers to the Previous LRC Quiz……..How well did you do?

1: Baloo; 2: Red and White; 3: St George’s Hall; 4: Will Young; 5: Never Never land; 6: General Norman Schwarzkopf; 7: King of the fairies; 8: Dragonfly; 9: Convolvulus; 10: Charlies 1

This Term’s LRC Quiz 1: What sends Sleeping Beauty to sleep? 2: Which Scottish Loch has the most water in it? 3: What is Mach 1? 4: When did Florence Nightingale die: 1890, 1900 or 1910? 5: What colour are most sapphires? 6: What cord connects a foetus with the placenta? 7: Name Lord Byron’s Narrative poem, ‘Childe Harold’s…………’ 8: In which kind of book do you look up words? 9: Who was sold to Real Madrid in 2009 for £80 Million? 10: Who founded the Salvation Army in 1878?

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The most memorable learning experiences are often those that take place outside the classroom. It was in this spirit that the school’s annual Activities Week was organised, for the week beginning Monday 7th July.The students across Years 7 to 10 participated with enthusiasm throughout the week, and I am incredibly proud of the way in which they impressed so many members of the public as they travelled around London and so many of the staff we met at the places we visited. I must also thank all the staff who contributed to making the week so worthwhile. The articles by the respective Heads of Year detail the events that took place during the week.Mr Rich, Deputy Headteacher

Year 7 - Ms Gouws’ account of the week

10K Sponsored WalkOne-hundred and eighty Year 7s took on 10km! They started the morning by listening to a speaker from the Autistic Society (the school charity). They arrived at the Willow Tree Centre and started their journey. Some students jogged whilst others enjoyed a brisk walk. About two hours later the first Year 7s made their way back. Thinking that they must surely be exhausted by now, they promptly received a drink, snack and a hamburger and were told to take a break. The energy levels of the Year 7s, however, meant they continued on to play football. As the day went by more and more Year 7s turned up at the Willow Tree Centre. Some covered in mud and others just happy to have made it. In a true reflection of the team that we are, students were encouraging others along the way. What a great day!

Sports DayA first for the Year 7s and wow, did they impress. They broke one school record after another! The behaviour was outstanding and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. It was fantastic to see how we supported our fellow class mates and cheered them along. The tutors had no voices left at the end of the day due to the endless support that they have given next to the field. Well done to 7A for winning the day!

Forensics DayOn Wednesday 9th July, the Year 7s had an exciting day working on their forensics skills to solve a murder mystery. There were many activities where all students could be involved and demonstrate their investigative skills from DNA extraction to cracking codes and making slime! It was a fun (and messy) day! Some members of each tutor group were assigned roles to help solve the murder outside the classroom. There were media and press workers who used their excellent communication and literacy skills to advertise to the rest of the school the clues they had solved. There were also lawyers who were representing each victim; they all did a fantastic job. Overall, every student made a fantastic contribution and had a very eventful day.

“I really enjoyed all of the different activities. It was really fun making slime.” Sebastian Holm 7S

Harry PotterOn Thursday 10th July, we swapped Ruislip High School for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! The students enjoyed a tour of Warner Bros Studios and were able to see the sets used in the Harry Potter films, discover the tricks of the trade and even ride a broomstick.

Day Trip to FranceOn Friday 11th July, Year 7s met bleary eyed at 5:00am for their day trip to France to experience some of the countries culture and language. After a smooth trip down to

ACTIVITIES WEEK

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Folkestone, the coaches drove into the shuttle where many students experienced travel under the sea for the first time. On arriving in France, the students started to notice some of the similarities and differences between England and France and took note of some of the new French words on the road signs. The first stop was a visit to boulangerie where the students were shown how bread, croissants and pain au chocolat are made; this is a very important part of daily life for the French. The tour was conducted in French allowing the students who have been learning French to practise their listening comprehension skills. Some students were also able to practise their cooking skills by making their own croissants and pain au chocolat.

After visiting Boulogne old town, some of the students and staff braved the beach in the rain to play some ball games. Then it was the last stop of the day, the Cité Europe shopping centre. Students had time to practise some of their speaking and comprehension skills in the shops, and even take in some of the unusual smells of the fish and cheese counters in the supermarket! Some students took advantage of the time to order something to eat and drink in French. After another smooth return journey, the staff and students all arrived back at school tired and happy after a successful and enjoyable day out.

Quotes: “The best part of the day was visiting the French bakery and seeing how croissants are made” Saraneyaa Gobi 7S When asked at immigration what he had visited today Tariq said “I can’t remember

exactly as I have been having so much fun!” Tariq Arieff 7D “The best part was walking around the French town with my friends” Noor Karim 7D

“We have had so much fun, the bakery and the French town were the best parts of the day” Dev Makwana and Jacob Dowson 7S

Year 8- Mr Bryant’s account of the weekActivities week at Ruislip High School has been a huge success. The week, as always, brought new challenges and responsibilities, with Year 8 once again taking it all in their stride. I would like to focus on some of my highlights of the week.

10K Sponsored WalkThe Year 8 cohort were far less anxious regarding the sponsored walk this year, having already taken part in Year 7; they knew exactly what to expect. The concern, however, is did they know what was expected of them? Activities such as the Sponsored Walk, where students have so much responsibility and where the whole school is involved can often lead to students forgetting the school’s high expectations…not Year 8. They took part perfectly, completing the walk in fantastic fashion and continuing to reflect the positive mood of the day in the sports at the end, including a very competitive game

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of rounders, particularly those students from 8F!

Sports DayThe highlight of the week was undoubtedly Sports Day, with some of the students being interviewed for ‘The One Show’, which then aired on BBC 1 the very next day! I hope you all remember me when you are famous!Once again the Year 8 cohort set a high standard for the rest of the school to follow, both in terms of students’ efforts on the track and their behaviour whilst spectating. The winning tutor group this year was 8A, who became Year 8 Sports Day Champions for the first time.

Well done 8A and Mr Ladhani!

In amongst these events we also had a trip to the Victoria Apollo to watch ‘Wicked’, Robots and Rockets Day and a tour of the new BBC Broadcasting House.

Robots and Rockets Robots and Rockets was a particularly jammed pack day, with a real range of activities taking place, from robot wars, to making rockets, to racing on a giant scalextric set! It really was the day that I think surprised the students the most during the week and truly reflected the effort and focus that Year 8 as a year group are capable of. Thank you Mr Moynihan.

BBC Broadcasting House By the Friday it was clear it had been a busy week and there were some tired faces about. However, the visit to the new BBC Broadcasting House transpired to be one of the highlights of the week. Students had the opportunity to take part in their very own radio drama, watch the news being delivered live to the nation and take part in their very own Ruislip High School news and weather broadcast. A very enjoyable day, which was only made better by the impeccable behaviour of the Year 8 students. All of the staff involved with the trip have made reference to what a pleasure it was to take the Year 8s on a trip, highlighting the students’ exemplary behaviour. It is a sentiment I share completely.

It is a week like this that reminds me how difficult it will be to leave this Year 8 cohort of which I am so immensely proud. I was already taking away such wonderful memories of you all, yet somehow over these five days you have gifted me with yet another bundle of fantastic memories to reminisce about in the future. I hope that for Year 8, however, there will be more to come in Years 9, 10, 11 and beyond.

Well done Year 8 and enjoy the summer!

Mr Bryant

Year 9- Ms Eccleshall’s account of the weekA huge thank you to staff and parents/guardians for supporting activities week. Many of the students have spoken very highly of the activities they participated in and lots of work goes on behind the scenes to make this week as enjoyable and educational as possible for the students.

10k Sponsored WalkOn Monday Year 9s were fantastic during the charity 10K walk. They enthusiastically ventured around Ruislip Woods and Lido

ACTIVITIES WEEK

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following the signs to the finish. I was particularly impressed with how many of them took part in the sporting activities when back at the Willow Tree Centre after they had eaten their well-deserved BBQ. There was a very competitive game of volleyball with Ms Antoine, also taking place and some energetic football matches. Sports DayOn Tuesday it was another great sunny sports day with some fantastic results from Year 9. Well done to all students who participated in the events on the day. Many track records were broken and again the Year 9s did themselves proud.

RAF TripsOn Wednesday, Year 9 spent the day learning about twentieth century warfare. The day began with a presentation from RAF Station Historian, Mark Bristow, who gave the students an insight into the reality behind the World War One trench that was erected in the cuboid; they were taught to consider the weaponry as well as the rats and disease. Half of the Year group went onto RAF Hendon to learn about the development of air warfare from the First to the Second World War and beyond. The rest of the Year group saw history perfectly preserved as they had a tour around Uxbridge Bunker, where the Battle of Britain was co-ordinated from in September 1940. They also visited RAF Northolt and learnt about the way in which the purpose of the base has developed in its one-hundred year history.

Holocaust Survivor/War Horse Trip On Thursday, Year 9 had the opportunity to hear the testimony of Bettine Le Beau, a Holocaust survivor. The students were enthralled by her fascinating story that made the students see the importance of friendship, bravery and hope in the face of adversity, so extreme that is difficult to comprehend. As a further commemoration of the Centenary of the First World War, Year 9 went to see the acclaimed theatre production of ‘Warhorse’. The students conducted themselves maturely and thoughtfully throughout the activities.

“The past few days has really made me realise that History is not just about big events, but it’s about each person’s experience of these events. Particularly the talk from the Holocaust Survivor – that was very emotional.” (Saskia, 9A).

Multi Sports DayOn Friday, the students surpassed themselves with positivity especially due to the rainy weather conditions in the morning. Students enjoyed an array of activities with blind football being the most popular event. The inflatable obstacle course was also a firm favourite. Impressive problem-solving skills were displayed in the team building exercises especially by Ilyas Raja, 9F, who managed to complete the four litre challenge in a new school record time of 2.33mins.

I wish you all a very restful summer break and I look forward to seeing you, refreshed and ready to work in Year 10 and becoming proud KS4 students.

Year 10- Mr Hardy’s account of the week

10K Sponsored WalkI would like to congratulate all students who completed the 10K walk this year; behaviour was impeccable as usual. I would like to thank Mr Mand for being Head of Year 10 for the day; Mr Mand was extremely impressed with the way the students conducted

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themselves and the positive attitude they brought to the day.

Sports DayThis was a usual day for Year 10s with half of the Year group on a Swanage Field trip; however, the Year 10s still had a pivotal role to play. I would like to congratulate them on their maturity throughout the day in supporting the PE department in making it a successful day. GCSE PE students such as Karan Kevat, Bradley Baker, Oliver Kenway and Amy Bennett in their role as leaders were invaluable and they should certainly be proud of themselves.

Year 6 Transition DayMr Rich would like to thank and praise all the Prefects and Year 10 students who represented the Red Ties with superb maturity. Zaid Ansari assured me that it was a tiring, yet rewarding day.

ICT and Business Enterprise DayStudents were given the chance to work in groups to be entrepreneurs and design their own travel companies and took part in team-building activities. Catherine Brown for Education Enterprise told the students it was the best Year group she had worked with in two years and gave a special mention to Alysha Skelton’s group for working as a team to build the tallest tower. Ms Brown would also like to recognise Carla Gillis for her contribution throughout the day.

London ZooA big thank you to Mr Lordan who organised another successful trip to London Zoo; with the weather on our side, it was pleasure to spend the day with the students. I hope the Art students managed to get some great photos.

HOACOn the Friday, all of Year 10 made their way to Hillingdon Outdoor Activity Centre for water sports and team games, with the highlights included kayaking and sailing. Feedback provided by the staff members, who supervised the trip, was extremely positive; staff commented that students’ motivation and effort were superb and I understand that Mr Mand showed his competitive side! Staff would like to say well done to Bradley Baker for supporting other students throughout the day.

Well done Year 10s for a thoroughly enjoyable week.

ACTIVITIES WEEK

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Year 7It’s been a summer of Shakespeare studying for Year 7 this term and a comedy at that! ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ has been the focus and students have been exploring the complex relationships between the characters and identifying the basic plot! Students have explored the language and performed short extracts from the text as well as making modern-day comparisons.

Year 8Students have been working on the musical project “Lion King”. Each tutor group has been learning three different scenes from the musical. Each group performed one number that was recorded then judged by Ms Cotton and Mr Mand. Everyone in the Year group has been actively encouraged to participate in the project using as many subjects across the curriculum as possible. During their Drama lessons, students have been learning the scenes for the show and students have displayed excellent movement skills!

Well done to the winners:

1st 8D2nd 8F3rd 8A

Year 9For their final KS3 project, Year 9 students have been preparing a devised performance which encapsulates all of the skills they have learnt over the past three years. Devising means that students can choose their own topic and create a performance.

Year 10 Year 10 students have now completed the whole GCSE course as a mock exam – well done! Next year will be even busier for students as they complete their final controlled assessments and exams. During Year 11 students must keep to deadlines and

ensure all work is fully completed to the best of your ability. Year 11Year 11 students should be congratulated on their final GCSE performances in April. Students performed extracts of scripts from a selection of texts. Many students rehearsed conscientiously and consistently before their final exam and this showed in their final performance. Some outstanding work was presented to the visiting examiner, well done!

Year 12Congratulations to all of the Year 12 Drama students who performed superbly in their unit 2 practical exam in May. Thank you to all of the parents, Sixth Form students and staff who supported the evening and watched the exam. Students performed a series of monologues and a whole-group performance of “Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakespeare.

Year 13Well done to the Year 13s who performed outstandingly in their final devised performances in March. One group created a non-linear piece “Two Faced” exploring the impact of social media on relationships and culture.

Health and Safety The drama studio has specialist flooring which is marked easily by school shoes, therefore, students are asked to provide the following for lessons due to the amount of movement which takes place in lessons. All students should either wear grip socks or bear feet in Yr 7/8 unless they have a medical condition in which they need foot support and they can then wear trainers; however, a note MUST be provided in their planners. In Years 9, 10 and 11, students are expected to wear white sole/non-marking sole trainers.

DRAMA NEWS

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RHS Summer CDFollowing a tough audition process the following students were chosen to feature on the annual Ruislip High School Summer CD.

Sarah Stapleton 13A3, John Boundy 10S, Sima Rai 10A, Eddie Honein 10W, Sophie Lawrence 10S, Sophie O’Connell 10S, Ruhksar Zarif 10C, Jacques LeHuquet 10S, Matthew Grogan 10A, Daniel Newport 10S, Ben Fernandes 10C, Goncalo Ferreira-Rocha 7D, Lily Hammett 8B, Marcelo Bovill 8A and Brandon Sanchez 8C, Oliver Barker 10S.

The CD is a true reflection of students’ diverse talent. The GCSE Music group recorded two excellent ensemble performances and all of the soloists involved were superb.

This is a wonderful opportunity for the students to have the experience of working in a professional recording environment. Credit must also be given to Donaldo Hoxha and Leah Kavanagh who were part of the technical team that recorded and mixed the CD.

Congratulations to the students who feature on the CD.

RAF Family Stations DayOn Saturday 14th June, a selection of talented Year 7 and 8 musicians and gymnasts performed at RAF Northolt’s Station Family event. The musical repertoire ranged from ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ from the musical ‘Blitz’ to ‘Happy’ by Pharrell Williams.

The Year 8 gymnasts were superb and delivered individual and group routines that displayed style and flair. All of the students who took part were a credit to the school.Congratulations to the following students who took part: Olivia Harrison 8D, Nancy Dulieu 8S, Chloe Hernandez 8S, Goncalo Ferreira-Rocha 7D, Lily Hammett 8B, Abbie Gleeson 7W, Leah Austen 7W and Hannah Alcock 8S.

Thank you to Miss Penny and Mr Stent for preparing the acts and for accompanying the students. Also to Mrs Le Huquet and Mrs Kettle for being supportive audience members and cheering the students on!

Year 5 Creative and Expressive Arts DayOn 23rd June, students from Ruislip Gardens and Bourne Primary schools were invited to a day filled with Art, Music, Drama and PE.

During the day, students were treated to a workshop in each of the four specialisms led by Ruislip High School staff.

MUSIC NEWS

Above: Students perform at RAF Northolt’s Station

Family event

Above: Students from Ruislip Gardens and Bourne Primary schools during their workshops

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Extended curriculumNext term there will be two new clubs starting as part of the ‘Above and Beyond’ programme. For all of the up and coming singers in the school there will be a new choir starting and this will be delivered by the singing teacher, Mr Boyd.

Mr Stent will be starting a Ukulele club for all students who wish to learn how to play this instrument. No experience is required to join the club.

Mrs Marie ColtmanDirector of Creative and Expressive Arts/ Senior Teacher KS3

Year 7Students in Year 7 have had a good end to the year. Throughout the Summer Term they have been focusing on their own development. They began by looking at how students perform in their exams and different revision techniques. A lot of the students worked hard and gained a very good level. They have also been looking at theirs and other people’s feelings, including how to be able to recognise emotions in others as well as their own personal growth and well being. Students have looked into what it means to be assertive and how to apply this to everyday situations, such as bullying and what to do if this occurs. The students have ended the term by looking forward to September and how to ensure that the new Year 7s receive a good, positive and welcoming start to Ruislip High School (the same as they did last year).

Year 8During the Summer Term, Year 8 students began by looking at healthy eating and their own diets. Students then looked at different diets including vegetarians and those who have religious requirements. Students have designed their own restaurants, including menus to ensure they have catered for everyone. Using the Real Game, students have had an opportunity to experience different life situations, including getting a job, having to balance a monthly budget and investigating a variety of jobs they may consider doing in the future.

Year 9Year 9s started the Summer Term by looking at different relationships they have in their

lives, and what is required for a healthy relationship. They considered different decisions that may need to be made to protect themselves and where they can go for advice.

Since May half term, students have been preparing for their Year 10 course by looking at diversity across Britain. This has included research into how discrimination is tackled, what can be done to help and how different religions react to issues with community cohesion.

Year 10Students in Year 10 have continued with the RE GCSE short course; so far they have looked at the beliefs of each religion in particular Christianity and Islam. They have also considered why some people believe in God and why others don’t, including how someone’s beliefs might help them to be able to answer different questions.

They have also taken part in a week’s work experience to a number of different locations across the country. Students received positive praise from their employees and the staff that visited during the week. Students have commented how interesting as well as tiring they found the week.

Year 11After a very interesting year with lively debates the department have said a fond farewell to Year 11, who have now completed their exam. Staff wish them good luck and success in the future.

CULTURAL STUDIES NEWS

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The Geography staff (Mr Alison, Mr Simmonds, Mr Askin and Ms Prince) are proud of all the Year 11, 12 and 13 Geographers who have worked really hard revising for their exams. Good luck for results day! The department is pleased that there will be four new classes starting GCSE Geography in Year 10 in September, along with a new Year 12 class starting A Level studies.

Year 7Year 7s have learnt a great deal over the past few months. In the Settlement topic, students studied the growth of Ruislip and how this was linked to the expansion of the Underground network. They also examined how cities are growing around the world and why there is pressure to build on greenfield sites.

In the Coasts topics, students learned about how people make a living from the ocean, and how goods are transported around the world through a network of container ports. Students then learnt about coastal formations and how waves can both erode and create new land. This topic ended with a project on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, England’s only natural World Heritage Site.

In the final topic of the year, Ecosystems, students studied the plants and animals of deserts, the savanna and tropical rainforests.

More than one-hundred and thirty Year 7s also enjoyed studying the Geography of Alum Bay on the residential trip to the Isle of Wight in May.

Year 8Year 8 started this term by looking at issues surrounding the world’s rapidly growing population and how this is linked to our use of resources and energy. Students studied examples of renewable and non-renewable energy, including America’s Hoover Dam hydro-electric power station.

Year 8 then studied weather and climate, particularly the key global issue of climate change. They studied evidence for the greenhouse effect and the reasons why the Earth’s atmosphere is warming. They studied the island nation of Tuvalu in the Pacific Ocean as an example of a country being adversely affected by the current sea level rise. They then studied the good and bad impacts of climate change on the UK.

Year 8’s final topic of the term has been to study our continent of Europe in depth. They have learnt about its physical and human features, and studied how twenty-eight of Europe’s forty-eight countries work together in the European Union. They then learnt some famous stories from Europe’s past such as the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in Italy that destroyed the Roman town of Pompeii.

Year 9Earlier on in the year, Year 9s studied in depth how the 2012 Olympics has helped change the map of East London and its regeneration legacy. They then looked at the Geography of crime, by learning about how the police use modern mapping techniques in their work. Year 9 then learnt about Geographical conflicts. They studied the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians; the conflict between BP and American citizens following the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill; the debate over who should own the Falkland Islands; and the current controversy over a proposed third runway at Heathrow Airport.

Year 9’s final topic has been the global tourism industry, for example learning about increasingly popular destinations such as

GEOGRAPHY NEWS

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Dubai. They learnt about how this former desert area has been transformed and how this has had an impact on water supply.

The department is delighted that so many students (four classes) in Year 9 have opted to continue to study GCSE Geography in Year 10.

Year 10The highlight of the term for Year 10 GCSE Geography students has been the residential field trip to Swanage in July. Students carried out a study of the River Wey. They collected data for their coursework project, which will be worth 25% of their grade.

On the Swanage field trip, students also carried out fieldwork in a number of locations helping them learn more about the current unit of study, ‘Coastal Zone’. As well as the town of Swanage, students visited Barton on Sea, Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove and Studland Bay.

At this point, Year 10 students have now completed four unit of study, ‘Water on the Land’, ‘The Restless Earth, ‘Changing Urban Environments’ and ‘Coastal Zone’. In September, the new school year will start with students completing their coursework project.

Year 11In June, Year 11 students took the final part of the GCSE, the Human Geography exam module which is worth the remaining 37.5% of their grade (the Year 10 Physical Geography Exam was worth 37.5% and the coursework project the remaining 25%). Students had to answer questions on the three topics they studied in Year 11: ‘Population Change, ‘Changing Urban Environments’, and ‘Tourism’. The department expects overall GCSE Geography results to be proud, when they are released in August. The department is pleased that many of its Year 11 students intend to continue with the subject to study A Level Geography in the sixth form.

Year 12Year 12 students have taken both their AS exams: Unit 1 ‘Global Challenges’ and Unit 2 ‘Geographical Investigations’. For Unit 2, students had to draw on their fieldwork experiences from the one-day field trip to London in February and the residential field trip to Norfolk in March. The students appeared happy with how the exams went and the department wishes them all well for results day. Many of the students intend to carry on to A2 Geography.

Year 13Year 13 students have taken both their A2 exams: Unit 3 ‘Contested Planet’ and Unit 4 ‘Geographical Research’. Both units involved students referring to pre-release materials provided by the exam board to act as a focus for the exam. Students had to write synoptic essays drawing on the studies of several Year 13 topics. The Unit 4 exam focused on the management of fragile environments for the development of tourism, with students using information collected over a three-month research period. The department wishes its Year 13 students all the best for results day, and for their lives beyond Ruislip High.

Left: Students enjoy the residential trips to the Isle of Wight and Swanage

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New staff and promotionsThe Science Faculty is very happy to announce that Ms Holland (Psychology), Mr Widderburn (Biology) and Ms Wrobel-Trasper (Biology) will be joining our team in September. Also, from next September, Mr Maclean will serve as Second in Science, Mr Head (KS4 Co-ordinator) and Mr Pritchard (KS3 Co-ordinator). These measures will significantly improve the Faculty’s delivery of Science.

‘Pond Life’

As many of you already know, Ruislip High School is the proud owner of its own pond. Since the pond was officially opened on 23rd March 2011, significant changes have taken place. Most obviously, the plants in the pond, and in the bog garden along two sides of the pond, have grown to full height, with the flowering plants adding a welcome splash of colour. The flowers of water-lilies always add a special touch to any pond and they too have recently started to bloom. In terms of animal life, there are quite a number of different invertebrate species that have colonised the pond, including diving beetles, greater and lesser waterboatmen, flatworms, water spiders and daphnia. As far as vertebrates are concerned, enough frog spawn to produce around 500 tadpoles was placed in the pond in early April. The Science department also has a smooth newt that can occasionally be spotted on the prowl for a meal. All of these organisms together with their watery environment make up the pond’s ecosystem. The pond has already been utilised in teaching Biology lessons and by the illustrious members of the Science Club, organised by Mr Maclean.

Life at school is like an ecosystem, where the organisms (the students!) strive to survive and sometimes compete with each other to be successful. To illustrate the point, RHS students can be compared with the various stages in the life cycle of the frog.

SCIENCE NEWS

23rd March 2011 12th July 2014

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Year 7Best Student: Nathan Reen

Most Improved Student: Chloe Hook The Science department can regard the Year 7s as our frog spawn! Safely delivered at school by their parents, they arrived in the school last September full of potential, but with so much growth and development ahead of them.

The Year 7s have now completed their first year in Science at RHS; the spawn has hatched! In their final term, the Year 7s have studied Forces, Metals and Life Story. During the last of these topics, many students were taken outside to the school pond to see what stage of development our real tadpoles had reached! Assessment this year has comprised end-of-term tests in conjunction with the assessment tasks. Thes tasks involve testing a student’s in depth understanding of a topic and may involve writing an essay, interpreting data, drawing graphs, constructing a poster or drawing a cartoon strip to illustrate their ideas. CASE (Cognitive Acceleration through Science Education) continues to be very successful. These lessons are termed ‘brain training’ and the idea is to push our students to think at a higher level and ultimately improve their performance at GCSE and AS/A Level.

Year 8Best Student: Grace Elliot

Most Improved Student: Aaron Finnigan Year 8 students have grown a little and learned how to get around school; they are now well adapted and into the swim of things at RHS. This term, the Year 8s have studied Rocks, the Environment and Light and Sound. Like the Year 7s, the 8s have also been assessed using end-of-term exams and assessments tasks. In an effort to improve literacy, Year 8s have recently performed an experiment for which they have written a report during their English lessons.

Growth and Development of the Common Frog

Making Light Work of a Practical

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Year 9Best Student: Liam Hodson

Most Improved Student: Ibrahim Hanif Year 9 is a transitional time in Science when students start the year still in KS3, but end it having begun their GCSE studies. This is when they begin to find their feet as scientists.

This term, the Year 9s have studied Drugs and Infectious Disease in Biology; while in Chemistry they studied Rocks and Metals and Crude Oil, and in Physics they learned about Heat Transfer and Generating Electricity. These are all topics from the AQA GCSE courses. Next year we will use a different specification for the Year 9s so that, when they enter Year 10, they experience fresh material and so that the course remains inspirational in the run up to their first public examinations.

Year 10 Best Student: Ayan Warsame

Most Improved Student: Reece Barnes Year 10 is when many students study for public examination in Year 11. This is a difficult time for many students. Just as tadpoles reach a stage when they are almost (but not quite) frogs, so many Year 10s struggle to find the maturity required to focus on their work and learn how to study and revise for GCSE examinations. Nonetheless, in June of this year, Year 10 students sat their first GCSE mock modular examinations, with 12.5% of their final GCSE grade riding on each. Many Year 10s have also completed a GCSE practical examination mock known as an ISA (Investigative Skills Assessment), which is worth 25% of their final GCSE results. It is anticipated that any student that received a disappointing grade in the June mock module will be going back over topics during the summer. The department remains confident that, by the end of Year 11, students will achieve – and hopefully surpass – their GCSE target grades.

In addition to the AQA GCSE courses, the department also has students following the new BTEC Principles of Science course. BTEC is ideal for hard working students that find sitting examinations difficult. Instead, they are assessed solely on a series of pieces of coursework

SCIENCE NEWS

Student A

Student B

After WashingBefore Washing

Bacterial colonies from thumb prints - reveal the effectiveness of hand-washing by Year 9 students!

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in Biology, Chemistry and Physics and one exam. It is not an easy option. The coursework assignments involve the students showing a detailed understanding of much of the same material taught on the GCSE courses. Students who ‘pass’ the BTEC course are awarded the equivalent of two GCSE grade Cs. Those achieving a ‘merit’, receive two GCSE grade Bs, and those who can earn a ‘distinction’ will get two grade As.

Year 11The end of Year 11 marks the end of KS4; the tadpoles are now frogs! Many of them will decide to hop it and leave school. However, a select few that have developed more than the rest will decide to return – just like mature frogs return to the pond – and join the Sixth Form. In addition to AS/A level courses in Biology, Chemistry and Physics, the department is happy to offer students the opportunity to study for an A level in Psychology at RHS. This course will be taught by Mr. Michael Griffin. All AS/A Level course will follow OCR specifications. In order to join any of these courses, students are expected to have achieved at least a grade B in the relevant GCSE examinations.

A special mention to our Triple Year 11 and Further Additional students who sat an incredible nine hours of exams over the summer. This will give them a grade in Chemistry, Biology and Physics.

Those who know me will tell you that I have a passion for Science. Last year I felt that I needed to accomplish something, so I memorised all one-hundred and eighteen chemical elements in atomic number order. Since then I have been furthering my knowledge in the science. Then I had the opportunity to compete against three other schools in the Science competition on Tuesday 17th June, 2014. The representative from each of the schools chose a topic to display in a five-minute presentation. I chose ‘The History of the Periodic Table of Elements’. I also had two of my friends, Ajay Mepa, 7F, and Kyle Cox, 8A, helping me out with a demonstration of the squeaky pop test. I was accompanied by Dr Lecky, Miss Worrall-Phillips and my two friends. The first two presentations were on

‘The Solar System’ and the third was on a newly discovered allotrope (form of carbon), Graphene. Then finally it was my turn; luckily the squeaky pop test demonstration went well, although it took a bit longer than expected. The most nerve-racking part was the wait for the result. To my delight I came 1st place! I won a KS3 Science revision guide and a fruit powered clock kit, but the best award was the sense of achievement and pride for winning the competition for Ruislip High. I would finally like to express my gratitude to Kyle and Ajay for helping me through the presentation and for their support, and the Science department at Ruislip High for nominating me and their support and help.

Marcelo Bovill, 8A.

On Tuesday 17th June, Marcello Bovill, 8A, entered the Hillingdon Science borough competition where he represented Ruislip High School for the first time in the competition. At the event, there were four schools all sharing their knowledge and passion in science. The event ran very smoothly and the audience were all engaged during the presentations. Marcello delivered an excellent presentation where he guided the audience through the history of the periodic table. The presentation was a huge success where Marcello was victorious and won the competition for Ruislip High School for the first time. Well done Marcello!

HILLINGDON BOROUGH SCIENCE COMPETITION

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Bright and early on 5th April, forty-five Sixth Form students arrived at Heathrow Airport all eager to begin an unforgettable trip. After saying goodbye to our families and a spot of shopping followed by a minor delay, which led to a bit more shopping, we finally boarded the flight.

A significant number of films later, we finally arrived at Washington DC airport. After slowly making our way through border control, we left the airport for the hotel. After settling into our rooms, we went out for our first meal at The Hard Rock Café. Although a great atmosphere, it was not fully appreciated due to our lack of sleep and jet lag so we decided to have an early night.

Fully refreshed and prepared for the cold, we made our way to the many memorials of Washington only to discover that by midday the sun was shining and all our coats and jackets were rendered useless. The tour of Washington took us to many iconic landmarks such as the White House, the Lincoln Memorial and the Martin Luther King Memorial to name a few. At the end of the four-hour tour, we stopped in front of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial only to look out at the picturesque landscape of the journey we had walked. The sun reflecting off of the lake made Washington look even more spectacular than we had expected and although our legs ached, it was worth it for the view.

After visiting the science museum and stocking up on sun cream, we were allowed to visit a restaurant of our choice. The free time in the hotel quickly led to sleep and before we knew it we were on the coach on our way to the ‘Big Apple’. The traffic crawled as we neared our destination, giving us the chance to take in the view of the city’s skyline which looked exactly like it does in films. Arriving at the hotel, we left our luggage in the (very posh) hotel rooms and congregated in the lobby; everyone was so excited to finally experience New York. Times Square was a short walk from our hotel and the feeling of standing in the heart of NYC was definitely one to remember. We all had dinner at the Bubba Gump Shrimp restaurant and then had the chance to explore Times Square at night, even though the lights of the billboards still made it seem early.

New York is famous for being a busy city with busy people; we were definitely fitting right in with our packed schedule. The day commenced with a morning of shopping, followed by a visit to one of the most iconic buildings in America. A trip to New York wouldn’t be complete without taking a picture at the top of the Empire State building, would it? ‘The view was indescribable and one that will never be forgotten’ – Luke Turner. Mr Rich later told us that the Empire State is over three times taller than the Statue of Liberty. In the afternoon we visited the United Nations (UN) to see where important conferences are held and we learned about the history of the UN and its one-hundred and ninety-two countries that make it up. A quick change at the hotel and dinner at a restaurant of our choice, we then went to a Broadway show called Newsies. The show was amazing and although many of us had experienced the West End in London, Broadway was on another level with spectacular sets and singing that took our breath away.

Our final full day started with an American breakfast at a local café complete with bacon, pancakes and lots of maple syrup before we got on a ferry to take us to The Statue of Liberty. Once again the sun was shining and we had plenty of opportunities to take pictures. After missing the ferry twice (sorry once again guys), we visited Ellis Island and learned about the history of immigration into America. Our next destination was Ground Zero. The scale of the 9/11 memorial was truly overwhelming and so peaceful considering it is in the city that ‘never sleeps’.

YEAR 12 TRIP WEEK New York

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The final night was spent shopping, eating and savouring every last moment in the mesmerising city. ‘A lot of people thought that New York was all about the shopping but it was so much more and the sightseeing experience was incredible’ – Cerys George.

Cautious of how much our suitcases were going to weigh, we shoved and sat on suitcases to pack everything in and our final activity was a film tour of the city, even visiting the building used to film ‘Friends’. Sadly we didn’t see Jenifer Aniston! In the afternoon, we visited Central Park and even managed to fit in some final last minute shopping.

The trip reached its inevitable end as we all dragged our suitcases into the airport, sad to be leaving but eager to get home to see all of our families again. Overall, New York was a truly amazing trip that none of us will forget, great friendships were formed, memories

were made and we also experienced independence half way across the world.

Thanks again to Mrs Gouws for being so fabulous and giving us the trip of a lifetime! ‘New York is really the city where dreams come true’ – Will New

By Georgia Hill and Shannon Cripps, Year 12

Year 12 Sociologists had the opportunity to visit the Old Bailey, central criminal court which hears some of the most serious cases awaiting trial. Students were allowed to sit in the public gallery and observe court and trial processes. Some students sat in on the end of the ‘phone tapping trial’ which has been extensively covered in the press recently. Other students were in the public gallery to hear the culmination of a possession of fire arms trial. Some of the students witnessed the beginning of a murder trial.

Students found the day incredibly interesting and saw first-hand the British Judicial system and the role a jury plays. Students expressed surprise at the fact that those in the public gallery were so involved in the process and needed to be sensitive to the fact they could be sat next to family members of both the accused and the victims of crime.

This trip has provided a good introduction to the Crime and Deviance course Sociology students will study in Year 13.

Old Bailey Trip Year 12 Sociologists

As part of their Enrichment Programme this summer, AS Physics students visited the Engineering faculty of University College London. They met with researchers and lecturers from the mechanical, chemical, electronic and civil engineering departments. They enjoyed seeing the research projects taking place especially the Formula One style racing car designed and built from scratch by a group of Mechanical Engineering students. It was also a great opportunity to find out about the vast number of careers leading from engineering degree courses.

UCL Physics and Engineering visit

On 2nd July the Year 12 Geography students visited the Siemens ‘Crystal’ building in London. It’s designed to be the world’s most sustainable building in terms of its low energy use and recycling of waste water. Students took part in an interactive tour where they learned about the sustainable features of the building and also studied a gallery about how cities around the world are planning to become more ‘green’ in the 21st century. The students learned about careers at Siemens, and were interested to hear that the company employs university graduates alongside apprentices with A-Level qualifications.

Year 12 Geography trip:

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Ruislip High School students took part in a variety of activities during Bike Week, which was aimed at encouraging the students to ride their bikes more frequently. Every student who rode to school was given a free breakfast and a raffle ticket to be in with the chance of winning a prize.

Dr Bike and the Hillingdon Police bike marking team came into the school to offer free bike checks and repair minor faults. Students, parents and teachers had their bikes marked with a unique number, which allows the police to trace them if they happen to be stolen.Rollapaluza, the organisers of a large Roller Racing event, came into Ruislip High on the Friday of Bike Week. The unique cycle sport involves two riders racing it out on a pair of custom-built rollers connected to a huge dial, with split-second timing over a simulated 500m distance. Four students successfully made it to the Rollapaluza final in London which will be held later in the year.

The students from Year 7 and 8 who made the final are listed below:

• Tyreese William Scott completed the challenge in 13:41 seconds at a speed of 41.9 miles per hour (MPH);

• Altay Shaw completed the challenge in 13:07 seconds at an impressive 43MPH;

• Caitlin Mace completed the challenge in 14:61 seconds at 38.5MPH;

• Saharla Warsame completed the challenge in 16:05 seconds which equates to a speed of 35MPH.

Bike Week at Ruislip High School made the students think about more environmentally-friendly ways to travel and helped them to learn about the health benefits of cycling and healthy eating. For example, they were able to power a smoothie maker to make healthy fruit smoothies using their bikes.

The gardening Club has bloomed this year at Waitrose. They raised £53, which will be re-invested in September. Thomas Quirk and Iain Eldrett were excellent ambassadors for the school, encouraging customers to buy lots of plants. Mrs Kotak was especially enthusiastic when it came to selling the onions!

A big thank you to everyone involved.

BIKE WEEK

THE GARDENING CLUB

Left: Students enjoying the

activities during Bike Week

Right: Thomas Quirk, Mrs Kotak, Iain Eldrett and Ms Jessup

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Start of Term Year 7 start of term Thursday 4th September 2014Year 12 enrolment Thursday 4th September 2014Year 8 to 11 start of term Friday 5th September 2014Year 13 enrolment Friday 5th September 2014 (NB: Wednesday 3rd September is an INSET day)

Parents’ EveningsYear 13 Parents UCAS Information Evening Tuesday 16th September 2014Year 7 Tutor Evening Thursday 16th October 2014

Open Evenings Year 6 Open Evening (5pm to 8pm) Thursday 2nd October 2014Sixth Form Open Evening (5pm to 7:30pm) Wednesday 19th November 2014

Events/Key DatesBronze Duke of Edinburgh Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th September 2014Late start P3 (10:45am) Friday 3rd October 2014Theme Day (Years 7 - 11) Friday 24th October 2014Last day of half term Friday 24th October 2014Half term holiday begins Monday 27th October 2014Half term begins Monday 3rd November 2014Presentation Evening Tuesday 4th November 2014Late start P3 (10:45am) Thursday 20th November 2014Winter Fair Friday 5th December 2014Christmas Concert Tuesday 9th December 2014Enrichment Days Thursday 11th & Friday 12th December 2014Last day of term (12:00pm) Friday 19th December 2014

For the full term dates for 2014-15, visit the website, www.ruisliphigh.com

AUTUMN TERM DATES

EXAM RESULTS DAYSYear 13 (A Level Results Day) Thursday 14th August 2014, 9am to 12pm (noon)

Year 12 (AS Level Results Day) Thursday 14th August 2014, 10am to 12pm (noon)

Year 11 (GCSE Results Day) Thursday 21st August 2014, 10:30am to 12:30pm

Year 10 (GCSE Maths Results Day) Thursday 21st August 2014, 11:30am to 12:30pm

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Ruislip High School, Sidmouth Drive, Ruislip, Middlesex HA4 0BY

Tel: 01895 464064

Fax: 01895 675331

Email: office@ruisliphigh.com

From grass roots, to reaching for the sky