Ringwood School - Winter 2016 - digital version Final

Ringwood
in the News

WINTER 2016

Headteacher Leanne Symonds Welcome to our end of term edition of Ringwood in the News

It has been a very busy term for us all, but still the school remains very active!
Last night I had the pleasure of attending my first Senior Citizens’ Christmas Party
hosted by the Sixth Form team. I was entirely impressed at how well our students had
organised the event and what gracious hosts they were. It was an incredible success with
everyone having a very enjoyable time. I am very much looking forward to next week’s
Carol Concerts (another first for me). I am told that Mr Hawkins’ “12 Days of Christmas”
is legendary.

Students across the school have been very active this term in supporting others in
less favourable circumstances than themselves. You will see inside this edition that we
contributed a record number of shoe boxes in our Shoe Box Appeal in October; we are
anticipating being over-run with tins of food for the homeless at Christmas next week;
we raised £2135.66 for Children in Need this term and the Sixth Form have been highly
active in raising awareness of the plight of migrant families to the whole of our school
community. I am very proud to lead a school populated by students who have such a clear
social conscience and a real desire to make the world a better place.

Students have also been highly productive in classrooms across the school this term.
Key Stage 3 students are getting used to a new assessment framework. Year 11 are also
getting used to a new style assessment in GCSE maths and English. They sat the first of
4 sets of exams in these subjects in November to help acclimatise them to these more
demanding exams. There are more exams to come for this group with ‘mocks’ just after
Christmas. I do hope that our students in Year 11 and 13 are able to make the best use
of the upcoming holidays, to prepare well and get into routines of effective private study,
that they then continue into the New Year to ensure success this summer.

Thank you for your support of our school this term and I wish you and your family a
peaceful and joyful Christmas holiday.

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In this issue...

Remembering our Heroes School Ethos
Campaigning for Syria Shoebox Appeal
Careers Department Children’s Charitable Trust
New Geography Building Senior Citizens’ Party
Sports News Southampton Film Week
Billy Elliot / PTA School Direct
Wellbeing Fortnight Looking ahead...

Head Girl and Boy Student Leadership
Georgia Stickley
Oscar Jenkinson

We hope everyone has had a positive first term back! 12

Firstly, we are sure you will have noticed the artwork chalked around the site in aid of support for the Syrian refugee crisis. The incredible statistics have got
everybody talking and have proved for interesting discussion around the whole school. If you are looking for more to do to help, there is currently a petition
asking Ringwood Council to reconsider the prospect of giving a family somewhere safe to stay in our town, and the more signatures we can get, the greater
impact it will have. A big thank you to the Global Campaigning group for this campaign. If you are interested in joining then head over to SCV on a Tuesday at
the start of tutor time.

We are so pleased at how many people across the school got involved with the Christmas Shoe Box appeal. 472 shoes boxes is a staggering number of boxes
for the school to collect and it is wonderful to think about all of the less fortunate children who will benefit from the shoe boxes. We also cannot wait to see the
results of the homeless appeal tin collection. We are changing people’s lives not just within our community but across the world. It is wonderful to see those
involved in events in the lead up to Christmas such as The Christmas Lights Switch On and Ringwood Junior School Christmas Fair. We also want to thank all
of the Sixth Form students involved in the Senior Citizens’ Christmas Party, a highlight for many of the local Ringwood community.

Finally, we wish everyone a very merry Christmas and restful winter break. Best of luck to the students taking their mock exams in the coming weeks and we
hope for this coming New Year to be happy and successful for everyone.

Remembering our Heroes Ringwood School students and staff
paid their respects in a number of
different ways this year.

Wooden crosses with messages from each Tutor
Group were planted by one of our trees and
remain a daily reminder of our war heroes.
Students represented the school in Ringwood
Town Centre, paying their respects with the wider
community, laying a cross and reading the names
of all the fallen men and women. The whole school
remembered with the traditional two minutes
silence and a bugler played the ‘Last Post’ which
gave great poignancy to the occasion.

Tim and George’s review of the History visit

The battlefields visit to France and Belgium was a once in a lifetime experience. It was amazing
but also upsetting to see the amount of graves with no name - where they have found the body
but the body is not recognisable. It was interesting to compare the different countries cemetries
and how they remember their missing or dead. We saw large memorials such as the Thiepval
Memorial to the Missing and the Menin Gate in Ypres. It was here that the parade took place.

We had the privilege of watching the poppies fall and then laying the wreath under the gate. A
very emotional experience. Overall, the visit was a very memorable experience where we saw the
long lasting effects of the Great War and how it has influenced all nations involved.

Written by Tim Ostler (Year 7) and George Galpin (Year 9)

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Ringwood School students from the Global Campaigning Campaigning for Syria
group creatively expressed their concern over the ongoing
war in Syria and the subsequent refugee crisis by covering
the school grounds with chalk drawings.

Each of the chalk messages represents the number of migrants that have
arrived in various countries since the beginning of the Syrian crisis in 2011.
This has proven to be a huge success, creating a real buzz and active discussion
taking place throughout the school between students, staff and visitors too.

Year 13 student Tyler Berry comments: “Given the ongoing humanitarian crisis
in Syria, we felt we had a responsibility to do something to help, even if we can
play just a small part in aiding those affected. Hopefully our campaign can reach
as many people as possible to gather support as well as raise awareness for this
cause.”

Year 13 student Evie Karkera also comments: “I think that it’s really important
that young people are given the opportunity to express our feelings about
current world events. Our campaign has the potential to give voice to a lot of
students and other members of the community that also want to help the crisis.”

The Ringwood Global 14
Campaigning group raised
further awareness of the crisis
at the Ringwood Christmas
Lights Switch On held on
Saturday 3rd December.

The Autumn term has been a very busy one for the
Careers Department!

On 14th October, each Year 11 student had the opportunity of a
practice interview with local employers so that they could
experience what a real intervew situation feels like and learn the
valuable skills of presenting themselves professionally and
keeping a cool head.

Careers Department In November we held our ever popular annual Careers Fair and this year was
our biggest and best yet with over 60 exhibitors ranging from local businesses
to international companies as well as colleges, universities and other
training providers.

Our next event is the Apprenticeship Evening on 7th March 2017 to
showcase all the amazing opportunities available. If you would like to have
your own stand, please email [email protected]

Year 10 Work Experience

We are excited this year to reinstate work experience for all of Year 10 with the
scheme formally running for one week between Monday 22nd - Friday 26th
May 2017. You can find all relevant paperwork in the Work Experience section
of the Learning Zone but if you have any questions at all, please contact the
Careers Department through [email protected]
If you are a local business who could provide a placement for one of our
students we would love to hear from you.

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The new Ringwood School Geography building is rapidly Since the arrival of the building, walls are now being New Geography Building
taking shape. painted, there is hot water and the disabled access
lift is in place. Air conditioning installation is fully
This is a result of the school’s success in obtaining funding from the underway and the new furniture has arrived.
Government’s Condition Improvement Fund. With the previous Exciting times! It will continue to be a busy lead
1960’s SCOLA building a distant memory, this made way for the up to Christmas.
arrival of the brand new Geography building which certainly made an
entrance during October half term when it was craned into position! 16

We are pleased to announce that the official opening will
take place early March 2017.

The new Geography building will vastly improve the learning experience
for Ringwood School students. High specification classroom
accommodation comprising of multiple learning spaces, offices and toilets
and will set the standard of future building initiatives.

Sports News Year 10 Football Successful students reach
Congratulations to the Year Hampshire Schools County
10 Football Team who are Championships
New Forest Champions!
They are also through to the 50 students from Years 7 -11
quarter finals of the Dorset took part in the New Forest
Cup. This is a great Cross Country Championships
achievement and we look at Gang Warily on Thursday
forward to seeing how they 24th November. We are happy
progress. to announce that the
following students have been
U16 Girls Hockey Team came 2nd in the New Forest Tournament at Southampton Sports Centre in selected to run to represent the
November, beating teams from Priestlands, Noadswood, Testwood and Arnewood. New Forest at the Hampshire
Schools County Championships.
We wish them luck!

Year 10/11 Boys: Peter Smith,
Edvin Jasvin

Year 10/11 Girls: Alicia Maude,
Maeve Bailey

Year 9 Girls: Martha Pestridge

Year 7 Boys: Jake Laidlaw,
Bailie Charlton

Year 7 Girls: Freya Bradfield,
Freya Waddington-Barton

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Tickets will be on sale to Friends of RSAF (Ringwood School Arts Foundation) in early January From 14th-18th February 2017, talented students Billy Elliot / PTA
and will go on general release in mid January. More details to follow. will stage the hit musical Billy Ellliot, a show full
of laughter but with a serious side. The school’s
Introducing the Ringwood School PTA reputation for staging shows of an incredibly high
standard will continue and we are expecting sell
So far this term we have run both cafes at the main school and Sixth Form Open Evenings, out audiences. To get inspired, 92 students went to
organised the Year 7 Christmas Disco and served refreshments at the Carol Concerts. To find out see the professional production of Billy Elliot at the
more about the PTA and the exciting 50/50 Club it runs, have a look at the PTA page on the school Bristol Hippodrome. Students who saw the show
website www.ringwood.hants.sch.uk/p-t-a loved the choreography, drama , funny dialogue
and were inspired to make Ringwood School’s
Unwanted uniform or sports kit version just as entertaining.

The PTA also runs ‘New2You’ sales of uniform and sports kit that is donated or left at school Questions regarding the PTA
unclaimed. This is a great way to get spare or replacement items for next to nothing. If you have Please email: [email protected]
anything to donate, there are drop off points in the school Reception.
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The focus of Wellbeing Fortnight, a new
initiative for the School, concentrated on staff and
students emotional wellbeing and personal
development and featured lots of fantastic
activities taking place throughout the School.

Wellbeing Fortnight Secret Friend Random Acts of Kindness
Imagine having a Secret This could be anything from
Friend in School who would paying someone a
surprise you with little compliment, giving someone
things to make you smile? a hug or making an
Staff were encouraged to unexpected cup of tea.
take part in this fun Something unexpected
initiative to brighten which brightens your day!
colleagues days.

Anti-Bullying
Ringwood School staff
supported Anti-bullying
Week by showing bullying
the ‘red card’ and wearing
red for the day.

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Photo Booth Wellbeing Fortnight
Our talented Sixth Form
Photography students set
up photo booth fun for all
students to take part in and
to raise money for Children
in Need. So much fun was
had posing with props!

Children in Need
Ringwood School raised an
incredible total of £2,135 for
Children in Need. From cake
sales, onesies, a yellow and
spotty theme, culminating in a
fantastic Orchestra afternoon.

Raffle for Harry’s wheelchair We would like to Baffi, Ringwood
Ringwood School staff thank all of the local David Lloyd, Ringwood
generously contributed to the businesses who Friday’s, Ringwood
raffle with a fantastic selection supported with raffle Framework Media, Ringwood
of prizes from generous local prizes: Koh Thai, Ringwood
businesses and raised a great Splashdown, Poole
total of £364 for Harry Price’s Simply Beauty, Ringwood 110
wheelchair. The Salon, Ringwood
William Guy Hairdressing

School Ethos The Autumn Term has literally flown by, with
Year 7 starting and settling, hugely adopting
#The Places You’ll Go with self confidence
and assurance.

For Year 8, achieving more has never been
better than when working as a team.
Their #TEAM is really pulling the year
together with great results.

The Year 9 #Adventure is Out There, has helped the whole year group to feel fully
engaged and bring a real uniqueness to the school.

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School Ethos

#Take Control is the Year 10 ethos as they start their new GCSE courses, working hard around the school and with peer mentors helping the 112
younger students to settle in.

#Be Prepared for Year 11 has never been more apparent as mock exams, revision, interviews and post 16 plans are really kicking into gear.

Shoebox Appeal Lucy and Megan’s report on the Christmas shoeboxes

We were delighted when we were asked to help with the Christmas Shoe
Box appeal. We all know that Christmas is a time for giving across the
world but we were all astonished when the Tutor Group target to beat
was only 17 shoeboxes; we thought this would be easy to surpass! When
we got home we scurried around, searching for long forgotten shoe
boxes. Those that didn’t have any took to their keyboards imploring all on
social media to push a shoe box or two their way! Now we had another
challenge - looking out for the perfect toys and gifts to give to the children
that deserve them. Some people brought a few bits and bobs from the
Pound shop while others searched around their houses for old things that
they didn’t need anymore.

Finally, the pound for delivery was placed inside and the wrapped
box was full of goodies. Now who to? What age? Done! When the
day came to bring in the shoe boxes, our Tutor Group 7H bought
in an amazing 23 boxes! Smashing the previous Year 7 total by a
country mile! It will be a Christmas to remember – for us and for
the many less fortunate children our shoe boxes will reach.

By Lucy Taylor and Megan Taylor, Year 7

A message from the Ringwood Rotary Club…
We are very grateful to the students and staff of Ringwood
School for their generous contributions and efforts for this great
Christmas charity scheme. So far 27,219 Rotary Club Christmas

13 Shoeboxes have reached less fortunate children.

“The students and staff at Ringwood School campaigned to collect so many donations and they have done Janina and Sophie’s report Children’s Charitable Trust
a remarkable job. The hard work and generosity of everyone has been amazing and we are extremely on Nanuki Charity Work
grateful to everyone involved.” Carolyn and Bill, Nanyuki Children’s Charitable Trust
During the last academic year,
Ringwood School students worked 114
with Nanyuki Children’s Charitable
Trust, a local organisation which
focuses on sending charitable aid
to Nanyuki, Kenya. Students across
the school managed to collect over
twenty boxes of clothes, toys, games
and other items to support those in
need. In October these were sent
over to Kenya in an RAF aircraft to
then be distributed among schools,
orphanages, nurseries and hospitals
in some of the most impoverished
areas. Many of the donations were
distributed among people in the
heart of the slum district in Nanyuki,
who were ecstatic to receive even
the most basic of items that we often
take for granted. Thank you to
everyone who brought something in
as you have helped many people
living in poverty and in the most
basic conditions. We hope to work
with this wonderful Charity again in
the future.

By Janina Gleed and Sophie Hines, Year 13

Senior Citizens’ Party Ringwood School Sixth Form Ringwood School opened its doors to warmly welcome the Town’s elderly
students once again hosted their residents, some of which are Grandparents of our students, for an evening
highly anticipated and popular of festive fun and entertainment by our highly talented Sixth Form
Senior Citizens’ Christmas Party students. Generously sponsored this year by Ringwood and
now in its 11th year. Fordingbridge Lions, over 120 guests filled into the beautifully decorated
School Hall. Sixth Form elves greeted guests, and Father Christmas
15 even made an appearance!

Guests were treated to a Ringwood School festive extravaganza - an
eclectic mix of live music, bingo, a raffle, a festive supper and endless cups
of tea throughout the evening. Yorky Tuke, Ringwood and Lions Club
president commented: “We have been working with Ringwood School for
a number of years on various Youth Projects and it is always fantastic to
see the team of Sixth Form students put on such a magical evening for the
elderly residents of Ringwood. The party is definitely a highlight in the
Ringwood social calendar and a great time was had by all”.

Congratulations to the Winners Success at Southampton Film Week

The films had to meet three simple criteria; use the title
‘Impression’, the line of dialogue “I thought it was a suggestion”
and no more than 4 minutes long.
Beyond that the creative freedom was theirs!

Impression - The One with the Murder
Winners of Best Sound, the Audience Award and Best Film by
Georgia Stickley, Emily Morris, Evie Karkera,
Stan Gulliford and Faegan White

Impression - The One with No Ideas
Winner of Best Script by Jade Hillier, Dan Grevatt,
Tom Atkinson, Matt Raybould and Sam Webb

Impression - The One with the Forgotten Bullet
Winner of Best Editing by Charlie Round, Sol Collier,
Matt Holley, Josh Brown and Rowan Elwell

Click here to be redirected to the Southampton Film Week website to view the winning videos

A group of talented Year 13 students recently swept the Awards at Southampton Film Week picking up a total of 5 of the 6 available Awards.
Miguel Drummond, Subject Leader of Media at Ringwood School comments: “I am extremely proud of our students’ achievements at Southampton Film
Week’s Hampshire Colleges Film Making Competition. Ringwood Sixth Form students have won Best Film and the Audience Awards for the 4th year
running! Their creativity never ceases to amaze me and to pick up 5 awards in such hotly contested categories is true testament to their hard
work and dedication”.
Now in its 9th year, Southampton Film Week is firmly established as the time to celebrate film across the City. Ringwood School students entered the
College Filmmaking Challenge 2016 and were given just 2 weeks to produce short films.

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School Direct Trainee Spotlight

Miss Shenton, Geography

What is life like as a teacher trainee at Ringwood School on the School Direct
programme? Miss Shenton tells all in our new feature…

School Direct Who and what inspired you to want to become a teacher?
When I was at Secondary school I always got on really well with my teachers and
for me it was like a home from home. My Teachers were always so approachable
and inspiring with their love for a specific subject and it was at that point I knew
I wanted to become a Teacher. To be in the position to be able to make a positive
influence on someone else’s life is just incredible. It did however take me a while to
realise what I wanted to teach.

How would you describe your teaching journey so far? Which route into teaching did you choose and why?
When I look back the last few months have just been amazing! At Secondary I really wanted to do my teacher training in a school
school I always had a passion for Art and Design, and thought if I were to teach, environment, so the School Direct programme was ideal for me.
Art would be my subject. It was only when I entered Sixth Form and began Once I had registered my details, Ringwood were the first school
studying Human Geography, I realised that Geography was my true passion and to get in touch and within 24 hours I had been invited in for an
completed a BA and went on to gain a Masters. I even considered completing a interview. During my interview, I knew straight away that
PhD and becoming a lecturer! I started teaching English in a Foreign Language Ringwood was where I wanted to be. Ringwood is a large school
school and absolutely loved it but it wasn’t teaching Geography. This really made but really does bring a personal touch to everything. I had to plan
me realise that I needed to find a route into teaching Geography at Secondary and teach a lesson to a small group of Year 7’s which felt very
school level. So I registered my details with UCAS on the Get into Teaching natural and not like an interview at all. Within 24 hours I had
website and everything happened within a week which was quite incredible! The accepted Ringwood’s offer and started my teacher training on 5th
Get into Teaching website is fantastic and really helped to guide me through step September 2016.
by step everything I needed to do and when.

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Has starting your teaching career lived up to your expectations? How did you feel on your first day of term?
So far, teaching at Ringwood has completely surpassed my expectations. It is even What a day it was! I don’t think I have ever seen so many new
better than I thought it would be and whilst there are tough days and initially it is faces at once. There are seven other trainees who are on the
hard work and long days, every day is different and there is always a small thing School Direct programme so it was reassuring to know that I
which makes you think ‘Yes I am doing this for a reason’. Witnessing my Year 8 wasn’t the only new Teacher in school at the start of term. There
classes get excited about tectonics and come into class saying ‘Miss, did you hear are 32 trainees in the Teaching Alliance and it is fantastic to know
about that earthquake the other day?’ is one of those little things which every that there are other trainee teachers in the same position. Every
teacher loves. Geography is such an interactive and engaging subject with so many fortnight I go to a school within the Alliance network, to observe
real life events taking place that you can discuss and debate in the classroom. Every lessons, focus groups, understand what good quality marking
day I am picking up new teaching techniques from my Mentor, department and looks like.
school colleagues. Also being part of a Teaching Alliance means that I will also get to
experience life at a different school soon, as part of my second teaching placement. What are you finding the most rewarding about teaching?
It’s the little things in teaching which definitely make a difference
every day. When a student suddenly grasps a new concept, you School Direct
see their eyes light up when they get excited about a topic and
when they are really pleased with their assessment results. When
I got my first student Christmas card it made me smile. The
student’s curiosity is also quite wonderful to see especially when
my teaching is helping to feed this.

What are the most important traits of a great Teacher? 18
From my experience so far: patience, enthusiasm and passion. You
really need to love what you do, have a true passion for your
subject and this will then come through in every lesson you teach.
You also need drive and determination, if you love your subject
then you are naturally driven to want to educate students on how
great it is and to instil a lifelong passion. If you put in 100% you
definitely see the impact whether it be during lessons or in the
overall progress of your students.

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Lookng ahead... Looking ahead... January 2017

Dates for your Diary Wednesday 4th - Friday 13th January: Year 11 Mock Exams
Tuesday 10th January: Year 9 Options Evening
Please refer to school website for further details Wednesday 11th January: School Direct - New Year, New Career event
http://www.ringwood.hants.sch.uk Monday 16th January: PTA Meeting – all welcome
Friday 20th January: PTA Quiz Night – all welcome
February 2017 Tuesday 24th January: Year 10 Life Choices event
Thursday 2nd February: Year 11 Consultation evening
Friday 3rd February: deadline for Year 10 Work Experience
Monday 6th February w/c : Year 12 and 13 Progress Reviews
Thursday 9th February: Year 9 Consultation Evening
Tuesday 14th - Saturday 18th February: Billy Elliot production