Newsletter - April 2018

THE K’FORD TIMES THE KINGSWINFORD SCHOOL NEWSLETTER Issue 3

The K’Ford
Times

The Kingswinford
School Newsletter

Enrichment Day April 2018

by Miss Ward Enrichment
Day Gallery
The latest collapsed timetable
PSHE day took place on
Thursday 22nd March. This
involved a huge range of
activities for all year groups.

Year 7 ran a healthy eating activities for our year 9 students:
enterprise project. Students the climbing wall proved
made a healthy carrot cake, challenging for a few of our
designed packaging, and students (and staff!).
created their own brand and
costings for the project. Year 7 PREVENT sessions, Sex
also took part in important e- Education from external
safety awareness sessions along providers and a drugs
with year 10. awareness workshop were run
for relevant year groups as well
Year 8 completed a first aid as a hard-hitting road safety
training course as well as some session delivered by the fire
Duke of Edinburgh style brigade.
activities. These are both
featured on our WAT pledge, a It was a fantastic day with all
list of extra-curricular activities students being given the
that the school offers to all opportunity to engage in a
students. variety of activities.

The army came to the school to
provide several team building

THE K’FORD TIMES THE KINGSWINFORD SCHOOL NEWSLETTER 2
Issue 3

World Book Day Rewarding
Excellence
There was great excitement including form quizzes and a
among our students when they lunchtime treasure hunt to find Students from Years 7, 8, 9 and
arrived at school on 1st March the names of popular book 10 are receiving visual
2018 to be greeted by pirates, characters. Reading for pleasure recognition for their hard work,
wizards, dalmations and many, and engagement with books is a endeavour and efforts this year.
many more book characters, as great way for children to improve The first students to gain a total
staff donned fancy dress to their literacy skills across the of 100 house points were
celebrate World Book Day in curriculum. rewarded in March.
style. Lots of events took place
throughout the day to raise the Happy Reading! KS3 students received either a
profile of reading in school, bronze (Year 7), silver (Year 8)
or gold (Year 9) recognition.

Year 10 students were
rewarded with the WAT
Excellence Band.

We look forward to celebrating
with more of our 100 club
students when they achieve this
feat in April.

Primary Glynne, Hawbush and St Mary's Year 10 Kingswinford School
Science Quiz took part this year. Science Ambassadors who
organised, marked and checked
by Mr Bills After seven rounds of questions, every round; Thomas Eva, Bryn
pictures, anagrams and Griffiths, Emily Needham,
The Kingswinford observations Brook Primary Lawrence Orford-Home
Science Faculty celebrated school beat the competition and and Rebecca Owen.
National Science and successfully defended their win
Engineering 2018 week with its last year. They are the first
popular annual Science quiz primary school to win
arranged by Mr Bills, Mrs Perks two consecutive years running!
and Mr Gildroy.
A big thank you to all the staff
Seven local primary schools; and students who took part from
Ashwood Park, Blanford Mere, our partner Primary schools. A
Brook, Church of the Ascension, special thanks also goes to our

THE K’FORD TIMES THE KINGSWINFORD SCHOOL NEWSLETTER 3
Issue 3

Trips & Visits

Battlefields and the next two best forming a bags at the room and went to
Trip, Belgium part of the ceremony. look at all of the activities open
to us. That night we unpacked
by Mr Bromell Alex Bradbury won the went for dinner and then tried
competition with a brilliant poem. out some of the fun and games
Students from across the school Well done Alex! such as laser guns, tunneling,
went on a field trip to Belgium on abseiling, rock climbing and the
the 22nd and 23rd of March. They leap of faith. We had so much
were visiting World War 1 to do and so little time!
battlefields and paying their
respects to the fallen soldiers of On Saturday the Year 7s had
the Great War alongside the netball in the morning whilst the
History Department. Year 8 team got to take part in
the outdoor education activities.
Our students had a fantastic and After lunch we then swapped
instructive time building a and the Year 8 team played
stronger understanding of the netball.
challenges faced during the war
and absorbing a little Belgian
culture to boot!

Condover Hall It snowed throughout the day
Netball Trip and both teams had to play in
the snow which we also found
challenging but fun.

By Jade Charlton & Ellie Lewis

Whilst there, three students were On 16th-18th March the whole
chosen to take part in a of the Year 7 and 8 Netball
ceremony where they laid a team went to Condover Hall in
poppy wreath from The Shrewsbury to take part in a
Kingswinford School on the First netball tournament.
World War memorial, the Menin
Gate. On the last day it had snowed
heavily overnight so all netball
The students were asked to take was cancelled. Instead, after
part in a poem writing breakfast, we had a huge
competition with the best one snowball fight and did laser tag
being placed upon the wreath and loads of other activities
again. We then went home later
On the first day, we left straight that day. It was so sad to leave
after school and dropped our and we all want to go again
next year.

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Issue 3

Day Period 5 was the last lesson that Student News
students were able to work on
by Mr Lent their Houses’ Pi Paper Chain Congratulations to Y10 student,
and the students with the most Alisha Stephen, who recently
On Friday 23rd March, students House points in each House competed in the English
at The Kingswinford School took were there for the final stretch. Schools Swimming Association
part in a belated celebration of Team Championships,
Mathematical Pi Day It was great to see the amount of representing the West Midlands
(Wednesday 14 March). The day teamwork used by many region.
was organised and ran by the students across the school
Mathematics department who set during this competition and the The West Midlands
up an engaging House Mathematics department are region came third out of the
competition for students in Year very proud of all the students English schools and Alisha won
groups 7 to 10. who took part and got on board two Bronze medals and
with the competitive celebration achieved a personal best in the
of Mathematical Pi Day. 200 meter butterfly. Superb!

Pi Day is celebrated all over the Fond Farewells
world in many different ways and
we at The Kingswinford School It is with great sadness that we say
decided to make Pi Paper farewell to 3 influential staff at the
Chains. Each form group chose end of this Spring term.
3 representatives for their
House, either Krypton, Helium, First, Mr Gildroy who joined us
Neon or Argon, who would take last September in a temporary
part in trying to create the position as he returned from
longest Pi Paper Chain. teaching in Egypt. Mr Gildroy has
secured a permanent position in
The Competition ran for most of It gives us great pleasure to Solihull and we wish him all the
the day seeing students from announce that the winning best.
across the school completing, in Houses’ Pi Paper chain has
essence, a Paper chain relay been displayed outside the main Second, Mr Thomas – our head of
race. The Pi Paper chain was hall and consists of 1000 digits PE. Mr Thomas joined the school
started off by Year 7’s in period of Pi after the decimal point. in 2016 and has lead the Faculty
one of the School day who were Throughout the day, many since then. He has moved on to
then relieved by Year 8 students different Houses took the lead pastures new, but will be sorely
during period 2. This process and for most of the day it was missed by students and staff.
continued during periods 3 and 4 neck and neck. However, when
where students from Years 9 the dust had settled and the Pi Finally, Mrs Rogers, who joined
and 10 took part in the activity. Paper Chains had been us ‘on loan’ from Windsor High
compared there was only one School is returning there – but we
winner and that was House will see her again as we
Helium. strengthen our partnership with
Windsor. A fantastic addition to our
Manny congratulations to all senior team and one who all the
students who took part, we hope senior team will continue to work
to see more of the same next closely with over the next few
year on Mathematical Pi Day. months and years.

Farewell and Good Luck to all!

THE K’FORD TIMES THE KINGSWINFORD SCHOOL NEWSLETTER 5
Issue 3

World Book Day
in Pictures!

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Exam Prep Y11 GCSE EXAMS
Top Tips! Time to Be Extraordinary

With GCSEs, Year 10 Mock exams Practical Easter
and end of year tests looming – take a Exams Revision
look at some of our Revision Top
Tips! by Mrs Rogers by Miss Palmer

1. Create a distraction-free study A Final reminder that, whilst the It is important that students make
environment, where you have all formal written exams start on the full use of the Easter holidays to
the equipment you need for your 14th May, a number of practical revise, using strategies shared
productive study sessions. exams take place before then, with them by teachers and
almost immediately after the tutors.
2. Create a revision plan. Turn over Easter Break:
for our Review Timetable to get They should draw up a revision
started! Art & Design: timetable, specifying subject and
amount of work to ensure an
3. Prioritise the most important topics Thursday 19th April and Friday even coverage across all
first. Try not to spend too long on 20th April (2 full days). subjects. See Dayjob.com for
the topics you find easiest and free downloadable revision
know well already. French Speaking Exams: templates.

4. Arrange study sessions to be a Tuesday 24th April, Wednesday An example of a completed
maximum of 30 minutes long. 25th April, Tuesday 1st May and revision planner is in the Achieve
Revision uses up a lot of energy. It Wednesday 2nd May. Excellence packs, all students
does you good to have a bit of a have been given either at
move around. Make sure you have P.E. Practical Exam: Achieve Excellence evening or in
at least a 5 minute break to tutor time.
refresh. Thursday 26th April.
There are revision classes on
5. Keep a glass of water with you All students have been given a during the Easter holidays at
during your study sessions, to keep copy of their individual school. These are by invitation
you hydrated and your examination timetable and the for targeted students who we
concentration levels up. full GCSE timetable is available urge to attend, although any
on the Website. student is able to participate as
6. Get fun and creative with your long as they have signed up
revision to keep it interesting. Mix beforehand with their teacher.
up memory techniques, make post-
its to stick around the house,
create A-maps, draw pictures,
make up songs, practice questions
– whichever methods work for you!

7. The night before the exam, make
sure you have everything you need
for it (including spares), and you
know what time you need to be at
the exam. Have a good dinner,
relax and visualise walking into the
exam calm, positive and in control.

8. On the morning of the exam, have
a yummy breakfast, leave plenty of
time to arrive, stay away from
negativity and breathe deeply.
You’ve got this!

THE K’FORD TIMES THE KINGSWINFORD SCHOOL NEWSLETTER Issue 3

Last Words

by Tom Macdonald

The End of the Spring term is always a somewhat strange time – Year 11s are preparing for their final exams;
year 9 students are going through their options process; other year groups are gearing up for their end of year
exams; and the staff and senior team are ensuring that we have recruited all of the staff we need for the
forthcoming year. In that last case, I am happy to say, we have been successful already and are fully staffed for
the forthcoming year (baring last minute staffing changes) which is, these days, no small feat in itself.

The term has been one of preparation then – I am so proud of the extraordinary efforts of our staff and Year 11
students in the way in which they have been approaching their GCSEs this year: calm; focused; determined. I
could not hope for more, especially in a year of such enormous change to the GCSE system and examination
style. I am, then, quietly confident that the students’ performance will be even stronger than last year’s.

Over the next term, in amongst the exams and end of year preparations, we will be launching a new approach to
Anti Bullying that I have been trialing with a small number of students and parents. Bullying is an issue for all
schools and, whilst something that no school can hope to wipe out, is something I believe we can address ever
more effectively and firmly and I look forward to working with more of you in developing this process further and
embedding its use across the school.

Throughout this year I have been overwhelmed by the sense of community within Kingswinford and around our
school and would like to thank you all for the part you play, large or small, in making this school something truly
special and a fantastic place to work. I have, however, a number of requests of our parent body to support the
school further and I hope that some of you might play a more active role in the development of the school in the
coming months and years.

First, we are seeking an expansion of our ‘Local Advisory Body’ – the modern equivalent of the Governing Body
amongst a Multi Academy Trust. We need to expand our governance team substantially and the best place to
start with that is through our Parents. First and foremost we would like at least one more Parent Governor to join
our team, but more than that we are seeking members of our community to stand as governors bringing their
professional skills to the fore in driving forward this great school. If you are interested in becoming a Governor
please contact Penny Guest at the School with your contact details. We will send a more formal request out as a
letter at the start of the new term.

Second, at the start of this year I indicated my desire to reform a PTA to offer me some feedback and advice and
to support with events, fundraising and other school activities. I hope to launch this (assuming we gain enough
interest to form a suitable groups) next term and, again, if you are interested please contact Penny Guest at the
school in the new term with your contact details.

Finally, my last request is somewhat more of a thank you and please keep up the good work – so far this year
through the students we have raised over £6000 for the school fund and student fund. The school fund has
so far paid for some improved sound and lighting for the school hall and some soon to be installed external table
tennis tables for student use and there should be a little left over. The student fund is building slowly and will be
supporting students in exceptional circumstances or helping them undertake exceptional experiences. So thank
you all, parents and students, for contributing and please don’t stop! Schools are under ever more increasing
financial pressure and I am determined, with your help, to ensure that this does not come at the cost of student
experience at The Kingswinford School!

I hope you have had a very Happy Easter and enjoy the Break!

THE K’FORD TIMES THE KINGSWINFORD SCHOOL NEWSLETTER 8
Issue 3

Monday 16th April Upcoming Events
Wednesday 18th April
Term begins
Year 8 HPV Second Dose

Year 10 Parents Consultation Evening: 4.00 pm – 6.30 pm

Thursday 19th – Friday 20th April Year 11 GCSE Art exams

Tuesday 24th – Wednesday 25th April GCSE French Speaking exams

Wednesday 25th April Year 8 Parents Consultation Evening: 4.00 pm – 6.30 pm
Thursday 26th April
Monday 30th April Mission X Celebration 1.30 pm – 3.00 pm
PE Practical exams

Year 10 exams begin

Tuesday 1st May – Wednesday 2nd May GCSE French Speaking exams

Wednesday 2nd May Year 9 Trip to Pineapple Dance Studios
Monday 7th May
Thursday 10th May May Day Bank Holiday - School Closed to students and
staff

House Competition Reading Harry Potter Quiz

Monday 14th May GCSE National exams begin

Monday 28th May – Friday 1st June Half Term