O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

Uffculme School Newsletter

Lorraine Heath Headteacher

Headteacher’s Introduction

It’s probably far too late in the term to say “welcome back” but as I haven’t written yet in this new school year, I should like to do so anyway. I should also like to extend a very warm welcome to all of the newest members of our school community and in particular to the 209 new students who have joined us in Year 7 and who have already made such a good first impression.

Thank you for your cooperation with the new circulation arrangements around the school. I hope that you agree that driving on and off site is much smoother and that the children are safer – which is, of course, the main aim. We are so pleased that we have been able to clear all of the builders’ paraphernalia off of the school site and I have to say that we are thrilled with the opportunities that our fabulous new theatre space “The Venue” is offering us. I know a few of the children have expressed disappointment at the lack of a “real stage” but the flexibility that this space gives us for meetings, assemblies, conferences and performances means that we are very hopeful that it can start generating an income stream for us (and therefore the children) very soon.

We started the year with another set of fantastic examination results; although to be fair with the new 9-1 numbers in English and Maths it was quite difficult to tell just how good they were. In fact, they were very similar to last year with 84% of the year group achieving the equivalent of grade C and above in English and Maths and 65% attaining the new gold standard of grade 5s (around a B grade) in English and Maths. The really good news is that last week, the provisional performance data was published and Uffculme has achieved an extraordinary score for progress of 1.04. This is quite a complicated calculation but it means that students at Uffculme achieved at least a whole grade higher in each of their GCSE subjects than the national average. In other words students at Uffculme can expect to attain higher grades in every subject than they would if they attended a different school. We had a similar, but slightly lower score of 0.91 last year and this result placed Uffculme 11th out of all state secondary schools in England. With the provisional league tables published next week, we are looking forward to seeing where we are placed this year!

However in true football league style, we are only as good as our last season and this year has already got off to a flying start. Year 7, as I have already said are making a very positive first impression, Year 10 also are adopting exactly the right approach to their new GCSE classes and Year 11 have returned committed and determined to succeed. Years 8 and 9 had a fantastic day last week completing the Uffculme Challenge and it was really uplifting to see so many of them complete it with a smile on their face – in spite of a few blisters. It is Open Evening this week and we look forward to opening our doors to loads of visitors and showing off our facilities – and of course our wonderful students.

The walking season has got underway already and DofE expeditions are in full swing. We are already planning Activities Week and hope to have the booklets out even earlier this year – before Christmas so that you can start planning for 2018.

Thank you as ever for your support with uniform, homework, school events and all of the clubs and activities that we have going on. Without you as partners, we would not be the school that we are. Here’s hoping for another brilliant year!

Finally an early heads up about our annual Craft Fair which this year takes place on November 18th. There is more information about this on the newsletter and I believe that there are still a few stalls available if you know anyone who would like one.

P A G E 2

School Lotto (was 100 Club)

Our 100 Club has had an update! The

School Lotto will be replacing the 100

Club starting from the October draw

onwards. You will now be able to pay for

the Lotto via ParentPay in addition to the

usual payment methods, and there will

now be 12 draws per year rather than 10.

If you are already a member of the 100

Club, do not be concerned—all details

will be transferred into the new Lotto

system. September’s draw winners are

listed on the back of this Newsletter;

watch this space for next month’s brand

new draw!

PTFA Christmas Craft Fair

We are thrilled to announce that our hugely popular Christmas Craft Fair will be running

again this year; many thanks to the PTFA for organising this! Please see details below; if

you’d like to book a stall to sell your own crafts, do make sure you get in touch with

Phryne Tonge to book in asap; spaces sell out fast!

Uffculme School Craft Fair Saturday, 18

th November 2017, 10am – 4pm at Uffculme School

Free Entry

Are you already counting the sleeps ‘til Christmas, unsure about what to buy for friends and family? Why not come along to the Uffculme School Craft Fair, with over 100 stalls showcasing their unique range of bespoke and unusual gifts, including hand-made Christmas decorations and delicacies, glass, wood, ceramics, candles, knitwear, clothing, and so very much more.

Enjoy our festive food and drink, all proceeds go to the School PTFA to support all the children in the school community.

Why not take a stall at the Craft Fair, hire charges start at only £15/table? If you are interested in selling your wares then please contact: Phryne on phryne68@gmail.com for an information pack. Don’t miss out, request a spot now!

P A G E 3

Uffculmeschool.net

School Garden Calling all gardeners! We’re very pleased to see that our School garden is going strong, and now we're on the hunt for extra equipment so we can make it even better! If you have any metal gardening tools (especially forks and spades) that you'd like to re-home, we would love your donations! We would also love any shrubs or plants that can be transplanted, so if you or anyone you know is having a clear out before the winter, please bear us in mind! Donations can be brought to Main Reception, unless they are very large (or muddy!), in which case please contact us before bringing them in so we can arrange a suitable drop-off point for you. Thankyou!

Half Term Activities

During Half Term there will be some sporting activities running for students.

Here at Uffculme School, we will be hosting Professional Sports Coaching in the Sports Centre which will offer professional multi-sports coaching for children aged 5 to 13 years. For more information or to book, please visit www.pro-coaching.co.uk.

In addition, Blundell’s School is running a Half Term Rugby Camp on Monday 23rd and Tues-day 24th October for boys and girls, age groups U7 to U13. For more information or to book, please visit www.blundells.org.

Hedgehog Watch! It’s that time of year again when some of our wildlife is vulnerable, and at the School we have already had the opportunity to do a bit of rescuing! Some of our students found a small hedgehog on our playing field, who was in a sad state, having become caught up in some garden netting which was still attached to her and had caused injury and infection. We are very proud of our students for their quick thinking; the little one is now in the care of Cullompton Wildlife Care Centre and is doing well. Due to the extremely high demand for their help, the Centre is not currently taking in any new rescues, but if you’d like to support their work, you can visit www.cullywildlife.co.uk where you will find more information about the Centre, and details of how you can help with donations of items as well as cash. They need items such as kitchen roll, toilet rolls, and specific types of cat and dog food; if you would like to donate items, please get in touch with the Centre, or you can bring donations into the School at Main Reception and we will pass them on. If you’d like more information about hedgehogs, their decline in recent years, and the importance of protecting them, visit www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk.

P A G E 4

Tour du Mont Blanc Summer 2017

Summer 2017 saw 29 ‘trekkers’ consisting of Uffculme School pupils, ex pupils and

adults embark on the Tour du Mont Blanc expedition. The 14-day trip included 10 days

of trekking a circular route around the Mont Blanc massif interspersed with rest days in

Switzerland and France. We covered roughly 170 kilometres including 10 kilometres of

ascent and descent, and this was achieved by all our pupils. Travelling on foot through

France, Italy and Switzerland, we were introduced to some of the most dramatic alpine

scenery in the world on one of Europe's greatest long-distance treks. Many thanks to

everyone who made this trip such a success. Roll on TMB 2018!!

‘I want to thank you for making the TMB such an enjoyable trip. Jo and I

have loved every moment. Your slick organisation and efficient delivery

made this trip so much more enjoyable. The adults were great company

and the Uffculme students were tremendous fun. It was, without doubt, a

challenge. A challenge that I thought I would cope with more easily. I

struggled in the first few days, but your support and encouragement

helped me battle on. I have many great memories from the last couple of

weeks; the Aiguille du Midi, which left me speechless and those stunning

alpine meadows.’ Gary S

‘Amazing, amazing, amazing! Do not get me wrong, there are some

struggles along the way, just packing up your kit every morning,

making sure you buy enough food, the early mornings, never mind

climbing those mountains! - All of which get easier. You will be so

proud of yourself when you arrive at a new camp every day having

trekked up and down that mountain, experienced spectacular views.

The whole tour is an experience you will never forget. The flawless or-

ganisation and support from Mike and Paul are second to none.’

Karen P

‘Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. Cannot really think of anything else to

say!’ Kevin B

P A G E 5

Uffculmeschool.net

‘Well if you're thinking of doing the TMB you need to be pretty

physically and mentally fit - it was challenging and tiring. However, I

would thoroughly recommend it. I had plenty of laughs along the

way, came away with new friends, new skills, great memories and the

scenery was stunning. It was an unforgettable experience.' Claire M

‘I found it a challenge on many different levels but thoroughly enjoyed

the experience. My lasting impression is that of the students - their

dedication, of their support of each other & their generally cheery

disposition (even on the wet days). I am certain they will take away with

them many life skills & lasting memories. ‘ Bev E

For information on the 2018 Tour du Mont Blanc please come along to meet Mike

Bradford who will be launching TMB 2018 on Thursday 19th October at 18.00hrs in

the school dining hall.

Tour du Mont Blanc is open to Year 9 Three Moors Challenge pupils, Year 10, Year

11, ex-pupils and adults who have an association with Uffculme School.

Contacts: Mike Bradford (TMB organizer) bradford@eclipse.co.uk

Paul Mitchell (School contact) mitchellp@uffculmeschool.net

P A G E 6

Gymnastics Joy!

Huge Congratulations to Josie Cole (7MAHER)! Josie trains at the Honiton Acrobatic Gymnastics Club and on the weekend of the 23rd & 24th September they hosted the Honiton Invitational 2017 acrobatic gymnastics competition. Over 500 gymnasts took part from across the country. Josie took part in the Grade 2 Women’s Group competition, in which she performed as part of a trio. Josie and her partners were very pleased to come away with a bronze medal.

Uffculmeschool.net

Don’t forget that we have a school Loyalty Card with Tony Pryce Sports. If you are purchasing sports kit please consider putting the points on our card. Make a note of number 147683 or tell them it’s for Uffculme School and we will get 10% back. Thank you!

Taekwondo Achievement

A big ’Well Done!’ to Ellis Griffin (8HUMPREYS) who passed his

Red belt in Taekwondo on Friday 15th September.

‘Distinctive’ Piano Skills!

A huge ‘Well Done’ to Sam Arrowsmith (9 BERTRAM) who passed his Grade 4 Piano exam with

a Distinction; impressive work!

Ballet News

Congratulations to Milly Wright (8PIPER) who achieved a Merit

grade in her Grade 3 Cecchetti Classical ballet examination.

Serious Cycling!

Amazing work from Sam Barker Moore (9WOOD) who took part in the Minehead to

Charmouth Coast to Coast cycle ride on Sunday 10th September. Sam completed the 45 mile

route in 4 hours and 5 minutes; wow!

Musical Theatre

Congratulations to Hannah Stephens (11HOLLIS) who received Grade 6 Distinction in Musical

Theatre at the end of the Summer Term. Hannah was awarded this by the Trinity College

London, for her role as the lead in ’A Chorus Line’ at the Barnfield Theatre, Exeter.

Uffculme School Student Welfare Services

Looking out for our students

P A G E 7

Keeping Your Child Safe Online

In an age where many of our children are online for much of their waking hours,

whether that be researching information for a school project, gaming or chatting to

friends on social media, it can be difficult as a parent or carer to work out how best

to protect your child.

Two useful websites that can help you navigate the digital world and provide

e-Safety advice are:

Both websites provide up to date information and advice on matters such as:

How to help your child build digital resilience and keep safe online

Information about popular apps such as Snap Chat, Instagram and Musical.ly

Setting parental controls on devices

What rules and boundaries can be helpful – and which ones are not

The law and social media

What to do if things go wrong

Saferinternt.org have recently posted detailed information and advice for help-

ing children set up a new profile which can be found at:

https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/blog/key-things-remember-when-helping-your-

child-set-new-profile

You can find more information on helping your child to keep safe online on the Safe-guarding section of our Uffculme School website.

Uffculme School Trust 100 Club

Congratulations to the following winners in

our Sept 2017 Draw:

£30 - Lucy Norman (113)

£10 - Trish Wardle (61)

£10 - Hilary Dingle (116)

You can become a 100 Club Member for only

£1 per month.

Contact Tony on

aspdent@uffculmeschool.net for more information. Got to be in it, to win it!

113 116 61

Term Dates 2017/18

Autumn Term

Friday 6th October – Inset Day Monday 23rd – Friday 27th October – Half Term

Friday 15th December – Last Day of Term

Spring Term

Wednesday 3rd January – Term Begins Monday 12th – Friday 16th February – Half Term

Thursday 29th March – Last Day of Term Friday 30th March – Bank Holiday (Good Friday)

Summer Term

Monday 16th April – Term Begins

Monday 7th May – Bank Holiday (May Day) Monday 28th May – Friday 1st June – Half Term

Friday 29th June – Inset Day Friday 20th July – Last Day of Term

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Don’t forget to

drop your used

ink cartridges

in to us!