December Edition - Uckfield College Life

 

UCKFIELD COLLEGE LIFE

December 2018

There’s No Place Like Uckfield College (Home!)

The whole school musical production of The Wizard of Oz was a “roaring success”, in equal
parts “enthralling and terrifying,” said parents and staff alike. Characters from the much-loved
story, including Dorothy, her new found friends: Scarecrow, Lion and Tinman, and her nemesis,
the West Witch, performed to a packed house on Wednesday and Thursday of last week.
“What a marvelous performance it was tonight,” said one audience member. “I was so
impressed with the professionalism, maturity and togetherness of all aspects of it.”
The cast and crew began preparations in July and rehearsed weekly since returning in
September and it was clear from the performance and the audience reactions that their hard
work paid dividends.
Another member of the audience congratulated the team and cast: “They were all amazing.
Dorothy was ‘as good as the film’ and the special effects were brilliant - we loved the twister!”
Despite the many hours the students put in after school each week, not to mention the half
term and Saturday rehearsals, the cast found it a “wonderful” and “amazing” experience during
which many new friendships were made: “We’re a family now, I wouldn’t have met half of these
amazing people if it wasn’t for Wizard of Oz.”
The Performing Arts departments are incredibly proud of everyone involved, including those
who worked behind the scenes supporting us by making costumes and props and playing in the
orchestra. It truly was a cross curricular success!
For more photos, please see our Uckfield College Facebook page

 

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Crisis Day!

Students in Year 12 raised over £2,200 this term to help the homeless and support the work of
both Crisis and the Cardinal Hume Centre. On the Deep Learning Day on November 27th, the
students learned about the work of these charities and that of the Uckfield Food Bank in a
series of thought-provoking assemblies arranged by the College’s RS Department. They then
used their entrepreneurial and teamwork skills to organise an impressive array of fund-raising
activities throughout the college at break and lunchtime. Staff and students were treated to
stalls selling homemade cakes, freshly made donuts, waffles, pancakes and candyfloss. There
was also a wide variety of games and competitions including hook-a-duck, arm-wrestling,
tug-of-war and, of course, throwing wet sponges and cream pies at teachers! The
record-breaking total includes donations made in support of Mrs Alvarez’s 12 hour overnight run

 

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which will took place on December 8th and which was proposed and promoted by the students
in 12D. Well done Year 12, this is fantastic news!

 

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Run for Crisis – Ms Alvarez’s 12 hour overnight run raises
£1,184 for Crisis!

Ms Alvarez ran for 12 hours non-stop from 8pm on Saturday 8th December to 8am on Sunday
9th December completing a 10 mile loop around Eastbourne six times. Each loop started and
finished at the bandstand (top promenade) leaving every 2 hours at 8pm, 10pm, 12 midnight,
2am, 4am and 6am.
The plan was to raise £500 to support Crisis, however the money raised is currently at 236% of
the original target!

 

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Well done Ms Alvarez for this amazing achievement and many thanks to all those who
supported her, including Mr Mitchell, Mr Ebrahim, Miss Brown, Mr Innes, Mr McLachlan, Mr
Simmonds and also some of our parents.

UKMT Senior Maths Challenge Results 2018

A big congratulations to all our Sixth Form students who participated in this years Senior Maths
Challenge. The results and certificates are back and the students achieved 12 bronze
certificates and 7 silver certificates.

Our bronze winners were:
Y12: Fionn McAteer, Joe Irwin, Emily Chevassut and Ollie Stockwell.
Y13: Tom Preston, Josh Mankelow, Harry Donnelly, Georgina Mack, Yolanda Etherington, Jack
Ball, Bradley Peirce and AJ Crowe.

 

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Our silver winners were:
Y12: Izzy Cowing, Jess Woolley, Molly Tebbutt, Will Dawson-Holgate, Jon Stevens & Ander
Harris.
Y13: Robert Ross.
Special mentions go to Jon Stevens (best in Y12) and Robert Ross (best in school)
Well done all, we are very proud of you!

Student becomes finalist in prestigious Art Prize!

Ruth Stephens in Year 10 has been chosen as one of the ten finalists in this countrywide
competition. She has been invited to attend a workshop with Artist Jennifer Collier in London
where the overall winner will be selected. The main prize is a full day workshop at Uckfield
College for her peers with Paper Artist Jennifer Collier. We are very proud of Ruth and wish her
lots luck!

 

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Year 8 STEAM on Deep Learning Day

During Deep Learning Day on Tuesday 27th November Year 8 students were engrossed in
STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) activities throughout the day,
as below:

Maths: Identify the specific locations of the five secret cells. Understand how to encrypt and
decrypt top secret messages between your Special Operatives overseas.

Science: Stress test suitable materials that can be used to make uniforms for your Special
Operatives. The military fabrics will need to provide armour-like protection, carry heavy loads

and be​ ​flexible enough to wear.

 

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Art: Design suitable camouflage to ensure that your Special Operatives blend into the five
locations where you will be sending them. You must ensure that The Inspector does not know
that they are coming.

 

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Computing: Develop systems that will enable MI 641-B to communicate top secret messages
faster than The Inspector’s team of hackers will be able to access them.
Engineering: Design and build suitable military uniforms for the Special Operatives. Your teams
must be able to work effectively in the most challenging of environments.

 

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Professor Harris talks to 6th Form Physics students

Many thanks to Professor Harris who came to talk to our 6th Form Physics students and
provided a Question and Answer session. Professor Harris is the Head of the School of Physics
at the University of Sussex.
Needless to say, our students were beyond inspired by him and his work. They were able to ask
an enormous quantity of questions, mostly related to their curriculum, but some that were way
beyond.
Our students have described it as an amazing experience!

Year 9 Climate Change Day at London Zoo!

On Friday 23rd November we took 31 Year 9 students to London Zoo to attend a climate
change workshop. This was a great opportunity for our students, who got to see first hand
some of the impacts climate change is having on different environments and habitats around
the world.
Students have been studying climate change in class and it was great for them to be able to see
and appreciate the real life applications of their studies! Luckily, we also had enough time to
explore the zoo!

 

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Open Doors in Uckfield

Uckfield College took part in East Sussex County Council’s Open Doors, an innovative project
that allows students to see real workplaces and have authentic conversations with employers.
This year we took Year 11 students to Horlock Holdcroft and Ashdown Audio Visual, both in
Uckfield. We had a tour of their businesses, presentations giving an insight into the world of
work and informative talks about further education and future careers. Thank you very much to
Horlock Holdcroft and Ashdown Audio Visual for giving their time and sharing their expertise to
provide our students with this excellent opportunity

 

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Work experience students join Nus Ghani for a week in
Westminster

Ten work experience students from schools across Wealden joined their MP Nus Ghani for a week in
Westminster, as well as a day in Crowborough and Forest Row.
The Ghani Ambassador programme brings work experience students up to Westminster to open the
inner workings of our political system up to the next generation.
The ten students were able to join Nus for committee discussions, debates in the House of
Commons as well as an insight into her role as a Minister in the Department for Transport. In
Crowborough and Forest Row they joined Nus for a look at how constituency days work, including
advice surgeries.

 

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Schools represented included Uckfield College, Mayfield School, Uplands, Beacon Academy and
Hailsham Community College.
Nus Ghani, MP for Wealden, said: “It was a pleasure to host ten wonderful Wealden students in my
office for work experience, and share with them my day-to-day job both as the MP for Wealden and
as a Minister in the Department for Transport.
“The group were inquisitive and enthusiastic, and hopefully enjoyed their time and learnt a lot about
the British political system and how an MP works.
“Parliament can often feel very inaccessible, but I always enjoy working with the next generation of
future leaders, and the work experience programme is a great way to open up Parliament to even
more people.”

My House of Lords work experience, by Sophie Godbold
(Year 13 Politics student)

Over the two days of the 14th and 15th of November, I had the privilege of gaining a work
placement under the Baroness Kay Andrews, a life peer of the House of Lords. Throughout the
period I shadowed her movements and her workings within the house, which was commonly
situated within the chamber. This exclusive insight into the workings of one of the pillars of state,
was a perfect opportunity to apply my politics studies to real life situations.

 

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Day 1: Counter terrorism bill
Admittedly, for the most part of the
counter terrorism debate I was out
of my depth as the Lords and the
junior minister for security debated
in depth the amendments that they
suggest should be made. However
the formality and fluidity of the
Lords’ and ministers’ statement was
enlightening as it reflected the
extent of the members academic
means. Unsurprisingly, the house
during this bill remained fairly
limited in the Lords attendance,
which Baroness Andrews later explained is commonly the case as only those wanting to make
amendments to the bill or specialise within a certain sector attend.

Day 2: The Brexit statemen​t
Undoubtedly, day 2 proved as the more exhilarating experience as I watched the events of the
Brexit statement unfold within the house. Unfortunately, Theresa May did not personally give her
statement to the house, however her Brexit minister outlined the basic policies under the deal.
Following the statement the busy house was filled with discontent, with disorder over all party
benches. Multiple ministers gave arguments for the need for a second referendum. The process
however also produced a slightly humorous atmosphere, as Lords mocked the points of the
statement. Yet it was obvious that the house was exhausted and at a gridlock over the Brexit deal,
with a sense of sadness over the disappointing and aloof proposal that the Prime Minister has
brought home. The general atmosphere surrounding Westminster was an experience within itself,
with the press occupying the streets and green along the old palace, the area was in an uproar. I
even had the privilege to speak to Channel 4 news reporter Michael Crick, a personal friend of
Baroness Andrews, who was preparing to report the developments of the day amongst the chaos.

Lord Lester
The most enthralling case that I witnessed
whilst observing the debates of the house,
was the misconduct of Lord Lester. A case
of sexual misconduct had never before
been posed in the House of Lords,
therefore the hours of subsequent debate
came to no definite conclusion. To my
surprise, cases such as these are handled
within a specialised court within the house
itself. The long winded debate consisted of
continuous statements made by life long
peers and friends of Lord Lester; Lord
Pannick, an international lawyer requested
an amendment be made to the bill. Many

 

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of the Lords and Baronesses had known Lord Lester for over 40 years, and stressed that he out of
all the lords, was a key advocate for women's rights and equality. Some of the world's most
established doctors and lawyers that sit amongst the lords spoke in support for Lord Lester. It was
baffling to watch the home of the rule of law become polarised by this one case. I had not
suspected that I would engage with this case more so than the Brexit statement, however I feel I
witnessed a crucial development in the history of the House of Lords.

Overall, this invaluable experience, which occured at such a crucial time in UK politics only furthered
my desire to eventually pursue a career in the Parliamentary sector. The House of Lords is often
masked by the constant controversies within the House of Commons, which is also more commonly
televised. Therefore this experience provided me with the opportunity to discern the workings of
such a prestigious body, which to the general public are often overlooked.

A week working alongside Wealden MP, Nus Ghani
by Ricardo Bodle & Bella May (Year 13 Politics students)

Working in Parliament for a week in October 2018
has proven to be a very rewarding opportunity. We
felt so lucky to be selected by Ms Ghani in order to
join her through her busy and demanding life as an
MP, and as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
at the Department for Transport as well as Assistant
Government Whip.

We obtained the chance to work in the MP’s
government office through our studies at A-level
Politics. During our time, we completed day-to-day
tasks, including responsible ones, such as writing
press releases and briefing material; this allowed us
to improve our team working and communication
skills.

Our invaluable experience was heightened through
our attendance at House of Commons debates, such
as on Universal Credit, where we saw several
prominent figures, such as Tim Farron and John
Bercow - the speaker of the Commons - as well as
attending meetings in the Defence and Foreign
Affairs Committees where we had to keep track and
take notes on what was being discussed. On our last day of working in Parliament, we were able to
visit Ms Ghani’s ministerial office, while also getting a glance at the Department of Education and
Home Office, where we observed two meetings, in which she discussed her efforts in trying to
encourage more school leavers to join apprenticeships, especially in engineering. We also had tea
with Nus and getting in on a bit of interesting facts and evaluations about some of her parliamentary
colleagues across the spectrum. This was very interesting as it also gave us an insight into just how
large of a reach our local MP has, for example in promoting her efforts in the flagship football
program Match of the Day. Our final day consisted of us attending a constituency surgery in

 

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Crowborough, after which Ms Ghani took us out for lunch. To wrap it up, we also decided to join her
on another meeting in Forest Row, where she discussed how the town can become more
environmentally friendly.

What we found really admirable about our local MP was how she attempted to get to know each of
us more personally and be our mentor, asking us what careers we wish to pursue and giving us
advice on how we can achieve this. This was very motivational as we both aspire to work within
politics. We have also been able to benefit in terms of our A-Level Politics as we were able to gain
first-hand experience on what it’s like to work in
one of the chambers, and how this relates to
the massive content of the course. It was also
quite delightful to get to know more about Ms
Ghani’s assistants, Sophie, Chris and Andrew, as
we spent the majority of the days working with
them. They were able to give us an insight on
what their daily life in Parliament consists of
whilst also telling us more about how they got
to their position. It was really fascinating when
they took us to the rooftop of Parliament and to
The Chapel of St Mary Undercroft, which regular
tourists are not able to visit.

This eye opening experience has been extremely valuable to us since it added context to what we
learn about in our Politics A-Level and allowed us to see how the political system works within
Westminster. We warmly thank Nus and her assistants for making the week so enjoyable and
making us feel so welcome. They were always happy to answer any questions we had as well as
going out of their way to make sure that we took the most out of the work experience as possible.

Sixth Form Art Trip

At the beginning of December students went to hear Grayson Perry and three other artists
speak as part of Art in Action. Below are some of the students’ comments:

Rebecca Deavin: ​“Artist Emma Hart spoke of her wish that art should be viewed in the same
way as we view a can of beans in Asda!”

Reuben Youell: “O​ ne of the key points that I found significant was Grayson Perry's take on
individuality. He suggested that we aren't as unique we think. He compared individuals to
snowflakes and suggested that when we analyse ourselves in detail (put ourselves under the
microscope) we are all genuinely unique and complex. However much alike, how snowflakes all
look the same, when we see them as a collection of snow its very difficult to "stick out".This
prompted me to think about what makes certain people stick out? Does it even matter if we stick
out? Should we even try to stick out and if so surely by forcing yourself to be different from
others you are by essence removing the part of ourselves that is naturally there by forcing such
a change. I thought about this a lot and I think what it is that makes a snowflake more important

 

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than another is what it achieves. A individual will never reach a point when it does not blend in
with the rest of humanity just by how "different" or "unique" you are under the microscope but it
is only the significance of what they create, destroy and change that matters on a larger scale
(eg. art we create, laws that we contribute to, changes in society that we are apart of).”

Jasmine Warriner: ​ “What stuck out for me the most was to be yourself, not to copy other
artwork, but to find you as an individual. I also liked the bit that Grayson Perry said "if someone
doesn't like your art it is because they are jealous of what you can do" - so you should be proud
of what you can achieve, no matter what someone says.”

Year 9 and Year 10 Drama Students Rob a Bank!

On Thursday 15th November, Drama students from Years 9 and 10 travelled to Brighton to
watch Mischief Theatre perform A Comedy About a Bank Robbery. The ‘lung-bustingly funny
farce’ certainly kept us all entertained with its witty dialogue, slapstick sequences and useless
robbers! The students were a credit to the College and a delight to take to the theatre - we
even received two commendations from other members of the audience following the show
about how well behaved our wonderful students had been.

 

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Ex student, Jack Graham, receives academic excellence
scholarship at Loughborough!

We are always delighted to hear how our ex students are getting on at university and in the
world of work, and were very impressed to get news from Jack Graham who left us in July
2017. Jack Graham, who is at Loughborough University on his MMath course, last year
averaged 95% in his assessments, and over the summer was awarded £100 for getting the
highest mark in the Maths Department (for a first year). Then in early November he received a
letter from the Vice-Chancellor inviting him to dinner to receive an academic excellence
scholarship of £500, as he was the highest achiever in the School of Science last year. Well
done Jack, we are very proud of you!

Summary of Russia debate, by Amy Manvell, Year 12

In History, I took part in a debate with Laura as part of a pair. We argued against the
proposition: “The tsarist system was in a stable position at the start of the First World War in
1914”, whilst Lewis and Zack argued in favour. Our debate was well focused and we critically
evaluated each other’s points.

As we were arguing that the tsarist system was unstable at the start of the War, Laura and I
claimed that the nature of the autocratic system in Russia had barely changed at all (even after
the 1905 revolution), and so Nicholas II’s refusal to make any proper reformations to the social
structure of the country showed that the tsar failed to understand and meet the needs of his
people, which caused unrest and manifested in the General Strikes of 1914, which created
instability for the tsarist system. The entrance of Russia into the First World War did not remove
the severe problems that Russia’s people, particularly industrial workers, faced, and therefore
despite the patriotism that initially gripped the country, Nicholas had not done anything to

 

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reduce or reform the economic and social issues people still faced at home and had been
striking over, and so ultimately the tsarist system was still not in a stable position; it was only a
matter of time and lack of supplies (the strikes and Russo-Japanese War had already proven
Russia’s infrastructure to be insufficient) before the people successfully ended tsarist rule.

All four of us prepared by thinking of strong points, then anticipating likely counter-criticisms
and forming other responses to use for those. The debate was structured and organised, and
included strong knowledge of the situation in Russia in 1914. Debates not only helps you think
critically about the topic, but also helps with essay writing, as you need to include strong
criticisms of arguments in order to make your analysis and evaluation as strong as possible, as
when writing it becomes tempting to explain the situation rather than a key factor, such as how
Nicholas’ failure to make proper concessions to his biggest supporters was the most significant
reason for his instability. Therefore, these debates are helpful as what you can see what you
need to translate into your essay, using key evidence to back up your points, and always
remaining focused on the question.

 

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Louise Brownsey Trampolining World Champion in the
17-21 World Age Group Competition!

Huge congratulations to Louise who has just returned from St Petersburg in Russia as World
Champion in the 17-21 World Age Group Competition! This is the culmination of many
years’ devotion to her sport (L​ ouise started age 6, so a 12 year journey). ​Louise qualified to
the final in 7th position, and since they go in reverse order she did her final routine just
about as best as she could possibly have done, and the following 6 trampolinists couldn't
quite match her. A Russian came second by the narrowest of margins, then a Canadian 3rd.

Louise, w​ ho left Uckfield College in June 2017,​ is pictured below on the podium singing the
national anthem!

 

Ingrid Moore (13N) awarded the Silver Cup for
Outstanding Contribution by the Crowborough Area Music
Service

 
On Monday 26th November, Ingrid Moore (13N) was awarded the Silver Cup for
Outstanding Contribution by the Crowborough Area Music Service, at its end of term concert
at The Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells.

 

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This was in recognition of Ingrid’s “outstanding qualities of musicianship, motivation and
leadership within Crowborough Youth String Orchestra, East Sussex String Chamber
Orchestra, South Downs Youth Orchestra and East Sussex Youth Orchestra, and for being
such a positive role model to other students at the Music Centre”. The cup was awarded
jointly to Ingrid and her friend Cherry Lau, who is in Year 13 at Heathfield Community
College: they have attended the Crowborough Area Music Centre together every Saturday
morning since they were eight years old, and followed the same path from beginner violin
groups to county-level ensembles.
 
Well done, we are very proud of you!

 

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'Gift of Love in a box'

Year 10 Ambassadors supported Year 7 students to give the 'Gift of Love in a box'.
 
The scheme was organised through the Eastbourne based charity Living Life, and these
shoe-boxes will be taken to Croatia to be distributed to children at Christmas time.
 
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to and helped with this very worthy cause.

Prince William Award

Students at Uckfield College who are currently on the Prince William Award have been putting
their leadership skills to good use. These skills will be further enhanced after Christmas when
they will be running and organising the community action project. This term our Prince William
Award students have been helping others in our local community as well as working together to
develop resilience, problem solving and confidence. The Prince William Award Instructors are
exemplary role models, who are mostly from an Armed Forces background. Instructors teach
the students about courage, perseverance, respect and confidence through a wide range of

 

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classroom-based lessons, plus outdoor activities and innovative projects promoting values such
as teamwork and respecting others.
 

  

  

Charlie Yeates, 10M, selected for Sussex County Football
Team

Charlie Yeates, 10M, took part in the U15's Sussex Schools County Football trials at Lancing
College in September 2018.
With over 100 boys attending the first trials, Charlie successfully completed the first stage of the
trials and was then invited to the second round of trials. 40 boys participated in this second
round, where 20 boys were then successfully selected to play for the U15's Sussex County
Football Team 2018/19 season. Fantastically, Charlie was one of the boys selected.
On Saturday 15th December 2018, Charlie along with the U15's Sussex County Football Team,
played a County Football match against Surrey Schools at Surrey Sports Park and successfully
won with a score of 3-1 playing amazing football in very harsh weather conditions.
We are very proud of Charlie's hard work, achievements and dedication to his sport. Well done
Charlie!

 

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Oscar Tomsett, 7L, gains black belt in Karate!

Many congratulations to Oscar Tomsett in 7L who gained his black belt in karate on Friday 14th
December.

Congratulations to Ben Law, 7M

Very well done to Ben Law in 7M who has just achieved distinction in his Grade 2 classical
guitar exam.

Well done to Nutley Junior Squash Team!

Nutley junior squash team played Lewes juniors away, Uckfield juniors away and Blue Coats
juniors at home in recent weeks. Zac Ruane, Megan Tweed , Seamus Harris, Max Walter, Jaime
Pinner and Darcie Turner played excellent squash and represented themselves and the team
very well. The league matches continue in 2019. Well done team!

Please keep in touch!

We always love to hear news of our students’ achievements out of College, so please do e-mail
to keep us updated with the fantastic range of activities they are involved in. Please e-mail
details to Toni Fletcher, t​ [email protected]​. We look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you.

 

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