The Gosford Times - Gosford Hill School · The Gosford Times The Termly Newsletter of Gosford Hill School Term 5 - May 2019 ... Following a tour of the 80 year old bunker, students

The Gosford TimesThe Termly Newsletter of Gosford Hill School

www.gosford-hill.oxon.sch.ukTerm 5 - May 2019

The Gosford Times | May 2019 1

In this issue...

Letters to Layla Moran MP

50th Alderman Wise Award Evening

Historical Society Fiction Writing Group

British Biology Olympiad 2019

English Literature Trip to the Globe Theatre

Trip to Rutherford Appleton Laboratory

Trip to Black Country Living Museum

OBEA Problem Solving Challenge

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School Governors Wanted

The Governing Body at Gosford Hill School is looking to appoint new Governors with immediate start or to start in the next academic year September 2019. If you have skills and experience in the areas of finance, resource management, legal or procurement, then this could be your chance to make a real difference and contribute to effective governance and the success of the school and its students. Further information:

http://www.gosford-hill.oxon.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/External-Advert-of-Governor-March-2019.pdf

Mrs Johnson, Clerk to Governors

Letters to Layla Moran MP

On Friday 26th April, five lucky historians got to meet and hand deliver letters to Layla Moran, MP for West Oxfordshire and Abingdon. The letters outlined why Walter Tull should be awarded the Military Cross posthumously, in recognition for the bravery and sacrifice he made for his country in WWI. From orphan, to professional footballer and finally Officer in the army, Tull’s journey is an inspiration to us all!

In response to the letters, Layla Moran wrote:

You can read more information about Water Tull here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43504286

Miss RoachTeacher of History

Dear Miss Roach,

Please pass on my thanks to the pupils who sent me their letters regarding Walter Tull.

I could tell that they have worked hard researching Walter’s background and his military service and all of them have presented compelling arguments as to why Walter’s service and loyalty to our country should be recognised by the awarding of the Military Cross.

I am very happy to support their requests for the Military Cross to be awarded and I shall write to the Secretary of State for Defence. On receipt of her reply I will contact you again.

Best wishes to you and all at Gosford Hill

Layla

2 The Gosford Times | May 2019

50th Alderman Wise Award Evening

On Wednesday 8th May, Gosford Hill School hosted the 50th Anniversary of The Alderman Wise Awards. The awards recognise and celebrate the success of Year 13 Sixth Form students, not only academically, but also for contributions to the school through areas such as Sport & Performing Arts, as well as the local community.

The school hall was packed with Sixth Form students and their families, current staff and also some past staff members including Previous Headteacher Mr Dennis Rowley. The School was honoured to welcome back ex-student and previous Alderman Wise winner Professor Irene Tracey, who gave a most interesting and inspiring speech.

The evening was compered by Head Girl Erin Lewis. Guests were treated to Drama performances by Year 13 Drama students and also a musical number by a band (Year 12 & 13 students specially put together for the evening).

The Alderman Wise Award presented by Councillor Nigel Simpson was awarded to Hollie Winstone. There was a great buzz throughout the night, full of laughs, appreciation, and proud moments. It was a very special and fitting way to mark the end of the Year 13 students’ school life here at Gosford Hill School.

Mrs Francis, KS5 Pastoral Assistant

Nigel Simpson presents Hollie Winstonewith the Alderman Wise Award

Mr Williams gives a farewell speech to Year 13

Debbie Green, Dennis Rowley (previous Headmaster),Professor Irene Tracey and Carol Minshall

The Student Leadership Team are presented withthe Headteacher’s Special Award


Sports News

Congratulations to the Year 9 Netball team for finishing third in the County Netball Finals last term: Melissa, Tara, Lucy, Sian, Alessia, Taylor, Isabelle, Phoebe, Rebecca

Also, well done to the Year 8 Hockey team for achieving 4th place in the County Hockey Finals before the Easter Holiday: Lucy, Amelia P, Fiona, Aisha, Gemma, Zoe, Jaya, Ella, Charlotte G, Charlotte K, Lily

Tim Pears visits the Historical Society Fiction writing group

On Thursday 2nd May, local historian and author Tim Pears visited the school to lead a workshop for the Historical Society Fiction writing group. The students enjoyed hearing Tim’s journey to becoming a published author and learning about the inspiration behind some of his books. They also took part in a short writing exercise.


Year 8 Humanities Trip to Coleshill

During the last week of April the Humanities department led Year 8 on a trip to a World War II bunker in Coleshill, Warwickshire.

Following a tour of the 80 year old bunker, students had the opportunity to use a Cypher machine to decipher Morse code, embark on a treasure hunt and race through a camo net!

Cody has written about the experience in an article below.

Ms Collyer, Inclusion and Alternative Provision

Cody R, Year 8

On the 29th April, the Year 8 humanities group went on a trip to a WW2 site called Coleshill. First we went on a long walk around the estate. Whilst on the walk, we saw a Guard House and secret agents that were specially trained to stay back and guard. Then we carried on walking for a while and came across a bunker that was 80 years old. It was very rusty and dark. After that we were taken into another bunker where we talked about the war and crawled out of the secret exit which was fun!

Later we saw some memorial trees that were planted to remember the men that fought in the war. After that, we walked back to the granary where we were split into two different groups to do activities. First we practiced cracking codes using a cypher machine and Morse code. Then we did a treasure hunt in the Orchard using clues. Finally we went under a camo net and completed races and relays with the teachers for 30 minutes before returning back to school.


Oxford Schools Chaplaincy Easter Lessons

During the final week of Term 4, Year 7 students had visitors from Oxford Schools Chaplaincy in their Religion, Philosophy and Ethics lessons to talk about why Christians celebrate Easter. Taylor Hamlet EACL shares what happened in her lesson:

On the 4th of April 2019 our class 7N had a special lesson on the Easter Story. We were taught by five visitors from Oxford Schools Chaplaincy.

We were involved a lot and asked a lot of questions. We were allowed to take part in a drama piece, watch a video and be part of an interview.

At the end of the lesson we had the opportunity to ask the visitors questions:

Student: Does Jesus’ death make you sad?

Scott: No, because he sacrificed himself for us and made Easter happen.

Student: Is Good Friday more important than Easter Sunday?

Matt: I think they are equally important.

Student: Who do you sympathise with?

Phil: Pilate because he is misunderstood. Pilate believed Jesus was innocent.

Taylor H, Year 7

British Biology Olympiad 2019

Many congratulations to Sam, Alexandra, Emma and Josh for all receiving certificates for participating in the British Biology Olympiad 2019 in February. Sam and Josh were awarded Commended, Emma achieved Bronze and Alexandra achieved Gold!


A Level English Literature Trip to the Globe Theatre

Years 12 and 13 recently went on a trip to London’s Globe theatre to see a performance of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. The production closely adhered to the script and original arc of the text which was very useful as an English Literature student because, although we might not have seen a full exploration of the possibilities Shakespeare provides for a director, it highlighted the importance of more nuanced factors, such as stage arrangements, stage direction and the opportunities for slapstick; these aspects are equally important but much harder to envision whilst reading.

This performance was laugh out loud funny, which came at my surprise as reading the script had never really amused me. The production did bring wordplay into the mix but relied heavily on visual humour.

The cross-casting added variety and interest to the already gender-confused play and allowed for some refreshing variety from the original script. The four main characters (Olivia, Sebastian, Viola and Orsino whose storyline is central to the plot) are played by the opposite sex. Despite this, the actors/actresses played their characters so well it became almost a subconscious matter. It is interesting to compare the casting that would be employed in the Elizabethan and Jacobean era; although the male characters would not have been played by actresses, the female characters would have been played by actors.

Even seeing the area of London and the Globe itself (which resembles the earliest theatre as best as possible) allowed for a more solid contextual grounding as we were able to view the stage layout where characters could enter and leave the stage.

We were blessed to have beautiful weather, despite a worrying forecast, as standing in the yard did leave us at the mercy of the elements. My only complaint is one directed at myself for not buying seated tickets because my legs ached considerably by the end.

Overall a very useful, easy and enjoyable trip!

Luke M, Year 12

On Tuesday 7 May the Year 12 and 13 English Literature classes travelled to London to see Twelfth Night at Shakespeare’s globe in order to see the play as people in Shakespeare’s time would have, and evaluate the different ways the play could be staged. We caught a train from Oxford Parkway to London Marylebone, then took the tube from Baker Street to London Bridge, and walked from there to the theatre. We then had an hour before the beginning so went for lunch before returning for the play’s start.

The play was brilliant. The actors were extremely talented in both drama and in music. Also, it was an interesting interpretation of Shakespeare’s text with the cast playing characters of opposite genders which adds to the comedy of the mistaken identity and falling in love with the wrong person. It was a very enjoyable experience, bar the 2 hours standing, and afterwards we returned the same way we came.


Laura S, Year 12

On Tuesday 7 May, Year 12 and Year 13 students went on a fantastic trip to the Globe Theatre in London, to watch a production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. It was quite an adventure to use public transport from our homes to London. We used our local train station to catch the train to London Marylebone and then used a combination of the Underground and walking to get to the Globe Theatre. Amazingly, nobody got lost! This was especially impressive given the crowded nature of rush hour. We made it to theatre in plenty of time. This allowed those who wanted to eat out and explore London. In order to get a good viewing position, it was good to get there early as, in contrast to most theatres, you stand for the performance, so there were no allocated seats.

Seeing the production at an exact copy of the theatre Shakespeare once performed at was an exciting, electrifying experience, which I will remember forever. Assuming the role of groundlings (peasant folk) we stood for the whole performance. We could walk about freely throughout the performance to choose the perfect spot to see the performance. Although many of us moaned that our legs and back were sore it was still incredible watching the performance in an authentic way. The production itself stayed true to the script and really came to life before our eyes. Shakespeare’s songs were used along with traditional musical instruments. This, combined with the traditional costumes, made it feel as if we had stepped back in time.

My favourite characters were the drunks, Sir Toby and Sir Andrew, whose physical comedy made us all laugh out loud. A fabulous day trip to London. Thank you, Mr Lee and Miss McCarthy, for organising the trip, escorting us and keeping us all safe!

New School Website

Oliver! Production Photographs

We are pleased to announce that our new school website is now live! You will find lots of useful information in the ‘Parents & Students’ and ‘Sixth Form’ sections that can be accessed directly from the top-right corner of the homepage.

Further orders for photographs from the school production, Oliver!, can now be made via the school reception (£5.00 per print). Simply make a note of the photograph number and the quantity that you would like to order. You can view an online gallery by visiting this URL:

http://www.gosford-hill.oxon.sch.uk/bwg_gallery/oliver-production-photographs/

Mr BirchallMarketing, Digital Media & Communications Assistant


Science Trip to Rutherford Appleton Laboratory

Thermal Engineering Challenge

We started off the day with a thermal engineering challenge, where we had to keep the liquid in a beaker warm for as long as possible. We had to design the most efficient way to insulate the water with multiple resources. However – we were working on a budget with design constraints, similar to that of a satellite heading into space for exploration! Our team decided to make a sleeve to go around the beaker, with a base and a lid to prevent heat loss. We came second! We also worked out that to send our material into space would cost £144!

By Erin, Freya, Katie and Anna

Tour of the Experimental Lab

We walked into the experimental lab, and saw a huge workspace. The machines in the lab were colour coded, and the scientists were able to choose the design and colour of their workspace. One scientist was unable to decide and ended up with bright pink, chosen by the rest of his team, which he wasn’t particularly happy about! In the lab, they dissect atoms into protons and neutrons, and make them travel faster than the speed of light in a particle accelerator, similar to the hadron collider in Cern. The protons could travel to Edinburgh and back before you’ve even blinked! The lab is also helping to develop driverless cars, and is testing the effect of cosmic rays from space on the cars, which usually affect electronics, to make sure they are not affected.

By Alice, Taylor, Ellie, Matti, Islay and Amelie

Meteorites and Microscopes

During the trip to Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, we got to look through microscopes at various different artefacts in detail. Some of these included, fossils, crystals, relics and meteorites. One of the items we looked at was the 4.5 billion year old iron centre of a meteorite that was believed to be part of the meteorite that caused the dinosaurs to go extinct. We got to see the surface of the iron under the microscope, which was greasy, rough and covered in small holes – none of which could be seen by the naked eye.

By Thomas, James, Samuel and Hamza

Marble Mazes

In the marble maze challenge, we were given a wooden board and a selection of objects in a bag. We needed to make the marble roll down the board as slowly as possible (10 seconds or more). There was a range of results from 6 seconds to 17 seconds. The most used object was a lollipop stick, used to slow the marble down. We also got to use objects such as dice, Lego, dominoes, Blutac and cork. We put all the lollipop sticks in a slanted pattern, and placed the rest of the items in various directions.

By Freddy, Josh, Ben and Jake


Year 7 Visit to the Black Country Living Museum

Year 7 visited the Black Country Living Museum on Friday 3rd May and experienced what life was like 150 years ago!

Elicia wrote, “I really enjoyed looking at the cottage and finding out about the family who lived there. The amount they got paid and the conditions they lived in were poor. Some children did not go to school and had to stay home to help their parents at home. I found it weird that families used their living room as their bathroom and kitchen, too. They had a pit in their garden to fetch water to heat up for a bath!”

We Are Aliens

Do you believe that there is life beyond Earth? We watched a video (narrated by Ron Weasley) exploring how technology can help us discover new ideas. Scientists believe (using the theory that where there is water, there is life) that Europa (a moon orbiting Jupiter) may have some sort of life due to the amount of water it holds. We also believe that some starts have exo-planets orbiting them. We use a piece of technology that collects data from thousands of stars at a time and to see if exo-planets are orbiting them. The video was fascinating and we learnt a lot about space. We had a great day filled with facts, fun and challenges.

By Katie, Nour and Kalista


Careers NewsYear 10 Work Experience – 10th-14th June

It’s only a few weeks until our Year 10 students go out on work experience.

There will be an assembly in the Sixth Form on Wednesday 5th June and a lesson to prepare students on Friday 7th June. This will take place during English.

Work Experience diaries will be issued to students during the week after half term.

Staff will make every effort to visit students whilst on placement, but in the unlikely event of any issues, students/parents/carers should contact the school and ask for Mrs Franklin. Provision is being made within school for those students who have been unable to secure an external placement, and these details will be shared after half-term.

Good luck to all Year 10 students. They should aim to make the most of this experience, enjoy it and remember they are representing themselves as well as the school. So they should make sure their employers remember them for the right reason!

Oxford Business Education Alliance Problem Solving Challenge

14 of our Year 9 students were selected to take part in the OBEA Problem Solving Challenge on 21st and 22nd May.

They worked in groups with student’s from Lord Williams and Wheatley Park schools, and between them visited The Natural History Museum, The Oxford Playhouse, The Ashmolean Museum and the Science Museum.

Each group were tasked to come up with solutions to problems that were presented to them.

All the students worked extremely well together, building relationships with new people and demonstrating their strong communication skills.

On day two we were lucky enough that representatives from each organisation came in to see the students do their presentations, and they were all impressed with what they saw.

A huge thanks goes to all involved and in particular to Melanie Greene for facilitating the event in her own time. Well done to all the Gosford Hill students for your involvement and positive representation of our school.

Mrs FranklinCareers Education Co-ordinator


Apprenticeship Opportunity...

HCS OxfordWe have an exciting opportunity for a Trainee Gas Engineer to join our growing team in Oxfordshire.

As an apprentice you’ll assist our engineers in carrying out a range of repairs and maintenance works in client’s homes, offices and work establishments.

You will attend a training programme to gain a recognised qualification, and we will help you make the most of your potential, but you’ll have to work hard too. You’ll get out and about with our experienced team to learn on the job. Plus, you’ll have both a manager and a mentor who will take the time to get to know you and support you on your journey.

If you have what it takes to help us succeed we would love to hear from you. Please contact Andrew McLean on 07977238886 to discuss, or send your CV or covering letter to:

[email protected]

A new engineering apprenticeship programme offering training for apprentice engineers at leading local technology businesses.

Get paid to study and receive high-quality training from industry specialists in the brand-new, state-of-the-art OAS Training Centre, at the Culham Science Centre.

Want to know more?w www.oas.ukaea.uke [email protected] Science Centre, OX14 3DB

@OxfordshireAdvancedSkills @oxfordshire_advanced_skills @OAS_UKAEA

GET A HEAD START IN A HI-TECH ENGINEERING CAREERWelcome to Oxfordshire Advanced Skills

STARTING SEPTEMBER 2019


CONTACTING YOUR SCHOOL

Your views are very important to us, whether they’re about your child, school activities or wider community issues. For all contact details telephone School Reception.

If you have a concern about your child contact:

• The subject teacher - if it concerns learning in a particular subject. Contact Reception to leave a message or alternatively, if you have internet access, you can ask for their email address.

• The Head of Faculty - if you wish to discuss any matter in greater detail.

• Their Form Tutor - if it is a more general issue about your child’s well being.

Staff will endeavour to phone you back as soon as possible. All information is treated in the strictest of confidence. If you want to raise an issue or query about a more general area of school activity or a community matter contact a Parent Governor. (Telephone numbers available from School Reception).

SCHOOL RECEPTION: Telephone: 01865 374971

SCHOOL EMAIL: [email protected]

SCHOOL WEBSITE: www.gosford-hill.oxon.sch.uk

ABSENCE LINE: Telephone: 01865 855378 (please use this number to report absences)

Email: [email protected]

The Parent Support Site has information on supporting your child(ren) in a number of curriculum areas.

Easter Holiday: Friday 5th April to Tuesday 23rd April 2019

Summer Term: Tuesday 23rd April – Wednesday 24th July 2019

Half Term Break: Monday 27th May – Friday 31st May 2019

Summer Holiday: Wednesday 24th July to Tuesday 3rd September 2019

INSET DAYS: Tuesday 4th September, Friday 5th October, Friday 15th February, Friday 28th June.

HALF INSET DAYS: Monday 5th November, Friday 25th January, Tuesday 12th March, Wednesday May 22nd, Thursday 27th June.

TERM DATES: 2018 - 2019

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The Gosford Times - Gosford Hill School · The Gosford Times The Termly Newsletter of Gosford Hill School Term 5 - May 2019 ... Following a tour of the 80 year old bunker, students