A message from our Head Teacher;
As I sit in my office writing this, it is fair to say that the
PRU has transformed into Santa’s grotto. Hardly a surface
remains that is not adorned with snowflakes and tinsel and so
I must take this opportunity to thank our wonderful
caretaker and cleaner, Mr Long, who has swept up a mountain
of glitter on a daily basis without complaining once!
In the run up to Christmas the staff have really gone the extra mile to ensure that
everyone has a wonderful time. The pupils have enjoyed a visit to the Stephen Joseph
Theatre to see the production of Alice in Wonderland and we have been delighted to
welcome family and friends to join us for a wonderful Christmas lunch. Even Santa
managed to make a guest appearance.
What has been particularly impressive is that the pupils have worked hard to ensure that
other people have a lovely Christmas too. Our ‘Charity Champion’, Liam S, organised a
‘Wear a Christmas Jumper for Save the Children’ to raise money to buy first aid kits and
drinking water and I am delighted to report that not only did our pupils sport a fantastic
range of Christmas Jumpers they raised more than their target amount in donations.
Some of our staff and pupils prepared and presented a Nativity Play to the residents of
Briar Dene Retirement Home and a group of both Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 pupils
attended an event at Scarborough Spa, organised by BBC Radio York. The idea was that
they would meet and chat with elderly people who may be feeling isolated at Christmas.
Not only did our pupils attend, they also baked cakes for the event, chatted to the
guests, served tea and cakes and even washed up – so remind them of that when you need
help with the washing up at home! I was particularly proud to receive an email from the
Editor at BBC Radio York, Joe Pignatiello, who said “They were a delight to have there. I
hope they enjoyed themselves. I’d be delighted to organise a tour of the BBC for them”.
So this is something we will be looking forward to in the New Year.
The icing on the cake for us this term has been that SPRS has become the only school in
the County and the only Referral Unit in the Country to be awarded the National
Nurturing School Award. This, on top of the OFSTED rating of Good with outstanding
features, means that I am one very proud Headteacher!
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a peaceful Christmas and New
Year holiday and I very much look forward to seeing everyone again on Tuesday 8th
January 2019 when the Scarborough Pupil Referral Service reopens for pupils.
Ms Mallen – Headteacher
A message from the KS3 Assistant Head Teacher;
After the long, hot summer, we welcomed pupils Owen, Haylie, Sky, Ellie and
Bobby back to another term at the Pupil Referral Unit. Edwin joined us for a
short time and very quickly was ready to make a fresh start at a new school and
we wish him every success for the future. We also welcomed our new teachers
Mr Cosgrove and Mr Togwell and say a sad goodbye to Mrs Whipp to whom we
wish a happy and sun-filled time. In the New Year, we look forward to
welcoming some new pupils to our friendly and caring school.
As always, there have been many exciting opportunities for our pupils in Key
Stage Three this term. As part of Scarborough Engineering week, all pupils
attended the STEM day at Scarborough Spa along with pupils from other local
schools.
We are very proud of Owen, who completed a week long Fire Safety Course with
the Fire Service and was congratulated on his hard work and mature attitude on
the course.
We enjoyed joining Jamie and Liam at their Macmillan Coffee Morning and loved
inviting our friends and families and winning some great prizes at the tombola.
Pupils enjoyed a performance by artistic director Stephen Burke and actress
Rachel from An Invisible Man Theatre Company. They brought the show YOLO
to our Key Stage Three Common Room. The play explored risk-taking behaviour
and was very thought-provoking. We then took part in a question and answer
session with the cast looking at facts and figures about young people across
North Yorkshire.
As Christmas draws closer, there have been many festive activities. We have
had our yearly community outreach day, a theatre visit and Christmas lunch.
This year’s end of term treat was a Christmas Cinema showing and festive
treats.
Lastly, I wish you and yours a safe and happy festive season and look forward to
working with our delightful staff and pupils in 2019!
English with Mrs Walton
Our cross-curricular theme at Key Stage 3 for the first half term has
been war. This year commemorates 100 years since the end of World War
One. With this in mind, pupils have studied the novel Private Peaceful by
Michael Morpurgo. The book is set just before and at the beginning of
WW1 and tells the story of Tommo, a soldier as he looks back through his
life as he waits to be shot at dawn for cowardice.
Pupils have enjoyed the book and film, maturely discussing the issues
arising as the story developed. They found out about the historical
context and considered the events that occurred. They examined the
author’s craft and intentions. They identified themes and expressed their
own views on these. All showed that they had a good understanding of the
story and could imagine how the character might have felt away from his
home town, friends and grandparents.
Sky, Ellie, Haylie, Bobby, Owen and Edwin all travelled to Wakefield to
watch a theatre performance of the story. It gave pupils a chance to visit
a new place, watch a professional production and gain a new insight to the
text. All of the pupils approached the story with such sensitivity and
showed empathy towards the fictional characters and the true historical
events the book was based on.
Following this, pupils began work on ghost stories. Pupils have been
examining the writers' tricks used in this genre and have written their own
short spooky stories. Owen, Bobby and Ellie seemed to have thoroughly
enjoyed crafting their terrifying tales. Bobby, Sky and Ellie then went on
to create their own spine-tingling, spooky movie trailers.
Christmas in Key Stage Three English saw us beginning our quick study of
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. The pupils have considered life in
Dickensian Britain and pondered on the factors which motivated Dickens to
write the story. They have looked at the characterisations message of the
story and related it to their own lives.
Finally, we really valued our visit the Stephen Joseph Theatre to watch
their production of Alice in Wonderland, another great story from our
British literary heritage.
Maths with Miss Goodman and Mrs Broadbent
This first term of the year the pupils have again studied a wide variety of topics. We
have looked at fractions and began by ordering them so we knew which ones are bigger
than others. We then looked at equivalent fractions. Sky found it really interesting to
know which fractions are the same size but have totally different numerators and
denominators. After we all mastered this we could move onto simplifying fractions. They
all used this knowledge to create a visual fractions wall display. Owen worked really hard
on this and created an amazing display for our classroom! This can be used time and time
again to help us in our future work on fractions.
This term we have looked a bit more in depth at angles. The pupils already knew the
different types of angles and could identify them. We took this a step further by
introducing the protractor and how to use it. The difficulty is deciding on which set of
numbers to use but after lots of practice they all could say which set of numbers they had
to use on the different angles. Haylie worked extremely well at this and was able to show
others how to use their protractors. When they were all feeling confident in this they all
drew their initials, put random lines in and measured each of the angles they created.
They were also able to name each and every one of their angles. As you can see this
created a very colourful wall display.
A lot of hard work went into this!
Well done everyone!
Science with Mr Togwell and Mr Moreno
This Term in Science Key Stage 3 have been working on Reproduction where we learn how
living things reproduce. Food & Digestion where we learn about the digestive system and
the main macro nutrients and how to test foods for them. Combustion we learn how fuels
combine with oxygen to produce energy. We are currently working on Fluids – which is
building on the work done previously on Solids, Liquids and
Gasses.
Ellie worked on practical experiments on combustion
measuring the time a candle would burn under different
size jars and then predicting the Volume of mystery Jars.
Frankie tested different foods to see if they contained
the carbohydrate Starch with Iodine. He also looked at
his own cells under the microscope.
Mr Togwell has introduced the concept of
“Method Acting”, if you are in science
lessons...you are a scientist! The dressing up
has definitely had a lot of us in fits of
laughter!
KS3 History with Mrs Aveyard & Mrs Whipp
This year marks a very special and important moment in history. It has been one hundred years
since World War One ended. It felt only right that this should be our topic in history this term.
We looked at how it all began and decided it seemed very, very complicated. We went back in time
to see how the lives of the soldiers and everyone left behind were changed forever. World War
One brought about some unusual changes that still exist today. The Defence of the Realm Act was
introduced in 1914 to help ensure public safety. One rule it brought about was to turn British
Summertime clocks forward, allowing an extra hour of daylight. This we later understood would
help agriculture production and keep the nation fed.
We became Cadbury’s Angels. These women set to work producing ‘Chocolate for the troops’. A
gift to remind them of home, a token of appreciation. We were astonished to learn that over
twenty thousand parcels ended up being sent to the front.
We carefully designed chocolate bar wrappers and hid notes inside telling the soldiers how much
we appreciated their bravery. Soldiers said the sight of a chocolate tin arriving was something
they really looked forward to given their ever decreasing rations.
This gave us an idea. We started to research wartime recipes and found one for the very
appealingly named ‘Trench’ cake. “Errrr!” some of us said in response. “Well, there’s only one way to
find out what it tastes like, so I’ll make one!” Said a rather excited Mrs Broadbent. “Actually It’s
not as bad as I thought it was going to be.” Explained a pleasantly surprised Frankie. What
proceeded could only be described as trench cooking fever. Mrs Broadbent helped us make
authentic wartime recipes, everything from soup to bread. We were impressed that such tasty
recipes could be produced with very limited rations.
Talking of trench fever, poor Private Whipp came to the surgery presenting with some very
unusual symptoms. Thankfully our new found knowledge helped us to make the correct diagnosis
and we prescribed plenty of bedrest.
Private Whipp was one of the lucky ones. We learnt about the immense devastation that WW1
caused, not just to the men who fought on the battlefield but the untold numbers of animals used
to help the war effort. Horses, dogs, pigeons yes as we expected but baboons, elephants and glow
worms? Sky was fascinated to understand more about the use of glow worms, so we researched
how such a tiny insect could possibly be of any use in trench warfare. “Of course, light, how cool is
that!”
“How wide is no man’s land?” Bobby asked. We went outside to investigate, armed with a metre
ruler. What unnerved us was whilst the average width of no man’s land was between four and five
hundred metres, parts of it were as short as between forty and fifty metres! As we stood on the
carpark looking across to where our enemy could have been, it brought home to us just how
dangerous life really was. It explained why so many perished yet conversely how a friendly game
of football could have been possible.
Lest We Forget.
Working by candle light during a blackout
Wartime recipes -
Soup, bread and trench
cake.
Cadbury’s Angels
Geography with Mrs Aveyard & Mrs Whipp
We started the term looking at the water cycle. “What I want to know about though Miss
is extreme weather,” asked Haylie. This led us into an investigation that would qualify her
to become the next Sian Lloyd. Flooding, tornadoes, tsunamis to name but a few. We
watched in horror at the devastation that could be caused so quickly, even in our local
area, where flooding has been happening regularly over the past few years. We quickly
decided where we wouldn’t want to live and Kansas in America came out top of the list.
Right in the centre of Tornado Alley did seem like the ideal area for a tornado chaser
however.
We studied different architectural designs from all over the world. Some of these homes
looked very unusual compared to what we know but all with one significant factor in
common, they were all ‘weatherproof’. Sky set to work designing the ultimate
weatherproof home complete with all mod cons. I think we need to make it reality and put
in a call to the Grand Designs team as with its curved aerodynamic roof and sturdy stilts,
she had most bases covered. Later in the term we packed our bags and decided to head off
around the world to investigate how other countries celebrate traditional holiday festivals.
We learnt that not all countries celebrated Christmas the way that we might do. Ellie
quite liked the idea of a Scandinavian Christmas where the children got to open their gifts
on Christmas Eve, whereas Owen was intrigued by the idea of a barbeque on Bondi Beach.
We pictured ourselves in our Summer clothes and flip flops, in the baking heat, eating
barbequed turkey sandwiches and getting a bronzed tan all at the same time.
We read that some Christians in China celebrate by lighting their houses with beautiful
paper lanterns and decorating their Christmas trees, which they call ‘Trees of Light’.
Chinese children eagerly hang muslin stockings and await a visit from Santa Claus, whom
they call ‘Dun Che Lao Ren’, which means ‘Christmas Old Man’. Since the vast majority of
the Chinese people are not Christian, we learnt that the main winter festival in China is
actually Chinese New Year which takes place toward the end of January. Now officially
called the "Spring Festival," it is a time when children receive new clothing, eat luxurious
meals, receive new toys, and enjoy firecracker displays. An important aspect of the New
Year celebration is the worship of ancestors. Portraits and paintings of ancestors are
brought out and hung in the main room of the home.
We identified some similarities between different cultures and were fascinated to learn
that our ancestors featured quite frequently. In Portugal, to name one country, the
Christmas feast would always include an extra table setting for those who had passed
before us. To remember lost ones seemed very poignant at this time of year and to place
emphasis on the family we have with us we agreed was the most important part of all our
holiday.
PSHE with Mrs Aveyard & Mrs Whipp
It may be quicker to tell you what we haven’t learnt in PSHE this term. We’ve looked at
career choices, puberty, relationships, consent, STIs and contraception.
I think it’s safe to say we’ve got our future employers covered with a potential mechanic,
hairdresser, veterinarian nurse and even a roadie! Ellie sees herself travelling the world
making sure that the all important stage, lighting and sound are just right.
After resigning ourselves to the fact that we may get spots, greasy hair and feel quite
emotional for no particular reason, it was comforting to know that we all go through it and
that there is light at the end of the puberty tunnel. We discussed that this was a
particularly important time to observe good hygiene. With this in mind, we drew up a
washbag wish list. It felt like Christmas had come early and we were really excited to try
out our new products. Toothbrush, toothpaste, body spray, wipes, shower gel and mouth
wash, all crammed into our own washbag, everything you could think of, minus the Joop
aftershave...sorry Bobby.
Given that our hormones are all over the place during puberty, we looked at how this could
have an impact on relationships we have with other people, whether it was our parents,
carers, partners, teachers or friends. We wanted to know what a healthy relationship
looked like and compared it to what an unhealthy relationship might look like. Recognising
that social media can affect these relationships was key. Understanding what bullying and
grooming involves helped us form a well rounded view of adolescence and all it entails. Only
then could we explore the topics of consent, sexually transmitted infections and how to
prevent these with suitable forms of contraction.
It was surprising to learn that some STIs have no symptoms whatsoever and that staying
safe and not being embarrassed to get regular check ups was very important. We decided
that we needed to be as vigilant with our sexual health as we are with our new found
obsession with oral hygiene. I am pleased to report that we all know how to prevent STIs
and know what a barrier method of contraception means. We all now know exactly where
to go for free and confidential advice, testing and contraception. Pupils can all be really
proud of themselves for the amazingly mature way they have dealt with what some find an
embarrassing and sensitive topic.
The pupils beautiful Geography work that
is now proudly displayed on the classroom
PHSE work; sexually transmitted
infections, consent and contraception.
ICT with Mr Cosgrove & Mrs Unsworth
Mr Cosgrove brought a homemade retro games machine
in to school.
Some pupils didn’t believe that Mr Cosgrove had made
it!
The pupils enjoyed having a go at the old-style games
such as Mario Kart 64, Space Invaders and Pac-Man
which some of our more mature readers may remember
from your youth!
We discussed how the machine was made and pupils were keen to make their own version
of the machine for other groups to use.
After looking at the blueprint, Bobby
was so keen he wanted to make a
cardboard replica of the frame while
we waited for the electronic
components and flat-pack frame to
arrive.
We are looking forward to getting cracking on the project after Christmas.
Religious Education
In RE this term the pupils have been developing their own ideas around life after death
and have linked this in with the Key Stage topic of WW1. We have studied the Christian
beliefs in Heaven and hell and moved onto the use of Capital Punishment and the rights
and wrongs of taking a life. Ellie started the term looking at other beliefs on Life after
Death, she was particularly interested in the Egyptian burial rituals.
The recent news reports from China were watched
and easy parallels with the treatment of the Jewish
people in WW2 were expressed and written about.
Questions were raised and answered by the pupils on
the need for society to include people of all faiths or
none.
The pupils have begun to learn the story of the Nativity and the symbolism used within
this. It has been interesting to use this time to gather understanding from early school
experiences and see how many of these are shared. We have certainly got far more
shepherds than wise men, the hills around Bethlehem can’t have had much room left for
the sheep!
Enrichment
This term we have had two groups for hospitality, firstly
Bobby-Joe, Sky, Owen and Hayley and this half term the
lovely Ellie. They were all very excited to be involved in the
lessons and looked forward to making all the lovely recipes
and sharing them with their family and friends. Sky excelled
in biscuit decorating and they all were all very creative in the
recipes that they made including, spaghetti bolognaise with
garlic bread, biscuits, chequerboard cakes, vegetable
croquettes with tomato salsa and many more delicious bakes.
Every lesson we make a main course and a dessert and every
one has been a success! We have now started to bake for
Christmas with Ellie baking a shortbread Christmas tree and
we are expecting to have a lot of fun over the
next few weeks while getting involved in many
charitable events including a coffee morning on 11th
December and delivering mince pies to senior
citizens in Scarborough. Christmas is going to be
very exciting this year and key stage 3 are really
working hard and enjoying the preparation so merry
Christmas!
Cookery Club
The cookery club is still going strong with Bobby-joe, Josh and Owen being the most
frequent visitors. It is still open from 2pm- 3pm Monday to Thursday and members can
choose to bake whatever they want to eat at school or take home to share with their
family or friends. The favourites to cook are calzone, pizza, flapjack, burgers, cakes,
cookies, biscuits etc. Owen is the sausage roll king, Bobby-joe the calzone expect and Josh
makes the most perfect pizza dough ever. Jamie and Liam often get involved with cookery
club when doing their fantastic charity events and you can’t have an event without a cake
so they will be making and decorating cakes for a coffee
morning on the 11th December and will be making and
decorating cakes and mince pies to deliver to nursing homes in
Scarborough at the end of term. We will be making beautiful
Christmas goodies on the run up to Christmas and looking
forward to starting again in the new term.
Physical Education
During PE this term we started in the great outdoors with a
challenge to create shelters in teams for a particular
scenario, for example, an end of the world shelter! Frankie
and Bobby worked together on the same project with Haylie
taking on a more directorial role. With the
weather beginning to worsen, we have been
able to enjoy the facilities at the Lower
Graham sports hall both indoors and out.
After getting used to the changes we have
enjoyed many different activities and sports.
Ellie and Bobby enjoyed a spirited game of
oversized football and Owen’s batting skills at
rounders’ have dramatically improved.
We have started most sessions with a circuit warmup of varying
exercises and have also experimented with some dance music cardio fitness fun.
Glow stick dancers
after a cardio dance
session
High Pass
Amongst the activities that the pupils of key stage 3 have
asked for as their end of week high pass activities have been
golf driving at the range at Snainton, the same place that we
have played foot golf previously. Edwin, Ellie and Bobby worked
hard to change from miss hits
to reaching up to 150 yards
plus.
They have also watched movies ranging from
Back to the Future to The Woman in Black.
Another regular venue for those who gain the
required points over the week has been the
foreshore amusements where fiercely
contested games of table football and pool
occurred.
For our end of half term High Pass trip last
half term we took the pupils to the newly situated and refurbished Amelia’s Chocolate.
The pupils got to make their very own picture out of Amelia’s chocolate. The girls working
at the shop put on a workshop for the pupils to enjoy. This involved choosing a picture
that they wanted to use. As it was Halloween time they were all very spooky! Bobby picked
a haunted house and Owen picked a pumpkin. They then got to decide which chocolate
they wanted to use for the main part of the picture.
They both chose white chocolate as this is their
favourite type. They then used the picture template to
fill it all in with chocolate! Once they had done this it
went into the fridge to set. While they waited for their
pictures to set they both enjoyed a huge slice of
homemade chocolate cake and a drink. The slice was so
big, even Owen, who loves his cake, couldn’t finish it!
The boys thoroughly enjoyed their visit and after all
their hard work this half term, it was well deserved.
A message from the Key Stage Four Assistant Head Teacher;
The term in September began on a high following the
excellent exam results achieved by all the Year 11 who
finished in June. We were very proud of our pupils and they
were all delighted with what they had achieved. Tommy Grant
said ‘I’d never have got these grades if I hadn’t come to the
PRU’. The majority of last years’ Year 11 have gone on to
Scarborough TEC to study a range of courses including
Engineering, ICT and Construction. We wish them all success!
Pupils moving into Year 11 have been left with a challenge: to
meet – or beat- last year’s pupils’ grades! …and so far this
term, it looks as if they have decided to make sure that happens! Assessments in all three
Core subjects (English, Maths and Science) show effort and progress being made with
several pupils now setting their sights on gaining grade 4 or 5 in the summer GCSEs.
Year 10 are working hard on their GCSE topics and it is clear they are following the good
example of the older pupils in showing they can be focussed and make good progress.
The new timetable in September also introduced some new
courses in school and at Scarborough TEC. At the PRU we
want to make sure every pupil has the chance to experience
and try out a range of different things. With this in mind, the
timetable was set up to provide a carousel of activities on
Tuesday mornings: Media; Art; Land Based Studies; PE and
Cooking. These are led by member of
staff at school and every half term
each pupil rotates into a different
topic, so they study something new
and challenging. This seems to have been successful in enabling
pupils to have more ideas about possible jobs or leisure activities
they can do. In the same way, the college courses will also rotate
each term to offer pupils a taste of courses they can apply to do
after leaving school. The topics this term have been Construction
and Hospitality. Both of these have been very popular!
The Autumn term always seems long and difficult as nights get longer and the days get
colder – but the Key Stage Four pupils have ensured that at least in school, there are
plenty of bright sparks who have made the term just whizz by this year!
Great work – we look forward to lots more in the New Year! Mrs Waines
English with Mrs Brindle, Mrs Waines & Miss Mortimer
In the first half of the autumn term,
KS4 pupils studied the brilliant play,
‘An Inspector Calls’ by J.B. Priestley in
preparation for their English
Literature GCSE. Mrs Brindle and Miss
Mortimer were delighted at how
enthusiastically the pupils read the
play in lessons. Becky did a fantastic
job of portraying the mysterious
Inspector and Josh S was superb as
‘love rat’ Gerald! As well as having enormous fun reading, we also learned a lot about the
historical background of the play and thought about the writer’s messages, morals and
intentions. The pupils impressed us with their cogent arguments about whom they thought
was most responsible for the death of the character Eva Smith. Year 11 pupils also
engaged in a thoughtful discussion about the
differences in the play and the film.
This half term we have been getting into the
Christmas spirit early, by reading the classic
novel by Charles Dickens, ‘A Christmas Carol’.
Darcy in particular has impressed us with his
enthusiasm in these lessons. Pupils have been
improving their essay writing skills by
considering how Dickens used his writing to try
to improve society. We have learned about the
appalling poverty and deprivation suffered by so many in Victorian England and the horrors
of the workhouses, child labour and debtor’s prisons. Pupils also watched some of Tony
Robinson’s ‘Worst Jobs in History’ series and all agreed that we are very lucky to live both
where, and when, we do!
Year 11 pupils have also been busy, working their way through past English Language exam
papers. Bailey, once again, has delighted us with his creative writing skills. We’re so proud
of how hard the year 11 pupils are working towards their exams and we’re hoping that lots
will choose to stay after 2 o’clock for the extra revision sessions that will be offered from
January.
All in all, it’s been a very productive term. Well done to every KS4 pupil!
Maths with Mr Smart & Mrs Abdel– Karim
The return to school after the long summer break is an exciting time for everyone in
school; with the new starters, those in transition from KS3 to KS4 or the new Year 11
pupils starting their final year and with those GCSE examinations at the end of it.
These are the GCSE maths topics that our students have been studying during this autumn
term:
Laws of indices
Mode, median, mean and range
Mean from a grouped frequency table
Pythagoras’ Theorem
Construction perpendicular bisectors and
angle bisectors
Ratios
Sequences and nth term
Trigonometry
Probability
Jamie used his problem solving skills and
knowledge of sequences learnt during his
mathematics lesson to be able to solve a problem
set by GCHQ during the Science Week.
The new GCSE mathematics examinations now
consist of three papers: one non-calculator and two
calculator papers. These examinations continue to
assess pupil’s skills in abstract reasoning but there
has become a greater emphasis on problem solving
skills with a connection to ‘real life mathematics’.
Problem solving and justification of their solution
has become an important part of our pupils’
mathematics lessons – Tiah Baker used these skills
to construct a 45 degree angle using only a ruler and
pair of compasses: Tiah constructed a perpendicular bisector and then she bisected the
right-angle which she had created (using her artistic flair, she went on to reflect this is in
the other quadrants).
Science with Mr Darrington & Mr Pettit
KS4 pupils have made great progress with their combined science qualifications so far this
term.
Y11 have completed over half of their modules and required practical work and have also
completed some ELC papers.
Year 11 pupils have been issued with their revision books to complete in their own time at
home or in revision sessions after school and have taken on their revision responsibilities
with enthusiasm.
Scarborough Sixth Form College has also kindly lent us some scientific equipment to
enhance our practical sessions.
Year 10 pupils have been working through the following modules;
Waves
Light and the Electromagnetic spectrum
Radioactivity
Health Disease and medicines
Atomic structure
Periodic table
Mendeleev and Rutherford have clearly made an impact
on some of the pupils leading to interesting scientific
conversations at the lunch table! They will be
completing some of their required
practical work closer to Christmas.
P.S Mandeleev was a Russian chemist and
inventor. He formulated the Periodic Law.
Rutherford was a physicist who came to be
known as the father of nuclear physics.
Personal Health and Social Education with Mr Cosgrove & Mrs Unsworth
The aim of the PHSE curriculum is to help pupils to develop confidence and self-awareness,
promoting effective communication and social skills to enable them to stay healthy, safe
and to succeed in making a positive contribution as they develop into young adults.
This term pupils have taken part in researching the following topics and preparing
PowerPoint presentations to deliver to their tutor groups:
Healthy Eating - Researching the foods that
make up a balanced diet.
Personal Health and Hygiene – Understanding the importance of good hygiene routines,
looking at personal grooming products and routines.
Bullying – Thinking about the effects of bullying on young people. Researching
organisations that can help and considering what advice to give to a friend who is being
affected by bullying.
Tiah produced a fantastic presentation on
anti-bullying, which after practising, she was
confident enough to present at assembly in
front of the whole school. Well done Tiah!
“I felt as though I was freaking out I
felt really nervous and scared before and
during it but afterwards I felt quite proud
of myself as I’d never done this sort of
thing before and I managed to do it
without any issues.”
Drugs Education – Looking at the risks of illegal
drug use, the personal and social effects, the law
and organisations that can help young people
Information and Computer Technology with Mr Cosgrove & Mrs Unsworth
The Computing course this year is working
towards OCR Functional Skills Level 1.
While studying ICT pupils will use several
types of software to help them develop
problem solving and critical thinking skills
and enable them to analyse data, research
topics and present information to others.
Jack A. Liam N. and Josh S have all
taken a keen interest in data input and
analysis and have progressed to more
challenging work.. Pupils in both Year 10
and 11 have also been busy sitting
practice questions in preparation for
their ICT exams in 2019 and have all
shown great promise so far, showing a
depth of understanding and skill when
attempting the tasks set and also
following the requirements of the exam
with regards to how they set out their
answers and evidence their work.
Next term will see the pupils learning everything there is to know about IT Security. This
will cover day to day security risks and laws that effect the use of ICT.
Well Done for all of your hard work this year.
Art with Mrs Aveyard & Mr Moreno
What do George Segal the artist and Liam N, Bailey and
Reece all have in common? They all are very adept at
fashioning wire armatures and layering on the Modroc of
course. They decided after having a go at making clay coil
pots that they would like to continue on the theme of
three dimensional work.
Our art room ended up looking like the
backstage production department for Little Shop of Horrors.
With Liam’s giant ant, Reece’s creepy hand and Bailey’s creation
entitled ‘Man Dabbing’, we were well on our way to winning a
BAFTA award. We were quite happy however to accept an
AQA Unit award instead.
Sometimes things can start to look a bit tired around school
and that’s not just the staff. We decided to spruce up some
of our computer plinths that had started to look a little bit
tired. Inspired by the recent resurgence for upcycling we
set to work creating some bright and cheerful surface
designs.
Oliva thought it would be a fun idea to assign every staff
member and every pupil with their very own piece of fruit or a
vegetable beginning with the same letter as their name. She
had to get creative as we started to run out of common fruit
names. Mrs Unsworth was very pleased to learn that there is
a fruit called an Ugli. An Ugli fruit is a cross between a
grapefruit and a mandarin! This funky fruit comes from
Jamaica and is also grown in the USA - and it's not that ugly!
It can look a bit weird because its yellowy green skin is thick,
rough and puffy - and sometimes a bit blotchy. Sorry Mrs
Unsworth!
Cooking with Mrs Brindle & Mrs Broadbent
As part of their enrichment programme, key stage four
pupils have the opportunity to develop their cooking and
baking skills. This term we have made an enormous variety
of succulent savoury dishes including: pizzas, ham and
cheese quiche, leek and potato soup with gorgeous
homemade bread and spaghetti Bolognese. Pupils also
learned how to make sweet and sour chicken to rival any
local take-away.
New pupil, Hayleigh,
joined the group just in time to make a tasty
chicken korma and spicy potato curry. She joined
Reece, Bailey and Liam in enjoying an Indian feast,
complete with naan bread, poppadums, onion salad
and dips. We also made fresh pasta and attempted
to create lasagne sheets, tagliatelle and spaghetti
using a pasta machine. We discovered that it
certainly wasn’t as easy as the professionals make
it look!
Under the expert eye of Mrs Broadbent (aka ‘The
Birthday Cake Fairy’) pupils have also baked a
veritable smorgasbord of delectable desserts. These
include; chocolate fudge brownies, banana muffins,
jam tart cakes, decorated cupcakes and iced
gingerbread biscuits.
Well done key stage four – we’re looking forward to seeing what the next group delight
us with in the New Year!
Sport and Fitness with Mr Smart & Mrs Abdel-Karim
As part of the KS4 Enrichment programme, pupils have the
opportunity to study towards a sports and fitness award.
During this term, Jack A, Olivia L, Jamie M, Liam S and
Josh BD have developed their physical skills, which has
provided important evidence for their individual portfolios.
Part of the Sports and Fitness course involves pupils
covering a Researching Sport module;
Jack A wrote about Serena Williams and how she lost
her temper after being accused of cheating.
Liam S and Jamie M
researched famous sportsmen and women’s net worth,
discovering that Lionel Messi is worth an astonishing $400
million which taken alongside his substantial endorsements
gives him an impressive Forbes ranking as the second
highest paid football player in the world.
Pupils attend fitness sessions at a
local gym where they have the
opportunity to learn how to use the
gym equipment safely and
effectively. Since starting the
course in September, we have seen
an increase in the pupil’s self-
esteem and a positive impact on how
they take responsibility for their
own and their peers learning and
enjoyment.
Land Based Studies with Mr Darrington & Mr Pettit
Pupils who
are part of
the Land Based Studies Enrichment Programme
have been following a six week AQA Unit Award
Scheme focusing on cattle and egg production.
The highlight of the course this term was visiting
a local free range chicken farm. Pupils have been
fortunate enough to see chicken farming in action,
with a tour of the whole farm, giving them a
deeper understanding of the process which leads
to being able to buy eggs in our local shops. They
were given the opportunity to learn how to hold a
chicken and were given a masterclass in how to
grade eggs.
We were given two trays of eggs to make cakes
for the Macmillan coffee morning held in school.
Media with Mr Cosgrove & Mrs Unsworth
Media is part of the KS4 Enrichment
programme and pupils are all working
on various projects which have so far
included manipulating digital images
of artwork that they have created,
finger knitting and coding.
Rebecca, creating her art work
before scanning it into the
computer.
Tiah’s finger knitting
Pupils have enjoyed creatively pursuing their own interests by using a variety of resources
such as, paint, charcoal, wool and watercolours, alongside digital cameras and laptops to
combine new technology with more traditional artistic methods.
Tiah and Rebecca have
produced some
beautiful artwork
whilst Jamie, Josh BD
and Liam S all chose to
use laptops to work on
their individual
projects.
Jamie created his own characters for a Scratch
computer programme, Liam S created some 3D artwork
about his favourite animal and Josh BD researched film
scripts to create a horror film creature.
The Media sessions have enabled pupils to direct their own learning and take responsibility
for an individual project, producing some really excellent work.
Psychology with Miss Mortimer
This term Liam N expressed an interest in Psychology after studying it briefly at his
previous school. Together, Miss Mortimer and Liam found specific units that he is
interested in. So far they have covered;
Schools of psychology
Memory Models
Understanding the need for Self– Awareness
Cognitive Psychology
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need
Eye Witness Testimony
Liam particularly enjoyed learning about the Hierarchy of Need. He began to self reflect,
looking at himself and his actions closer, beginning to understand the possible reasons for
the choices he makes.
After Christmas we will be delving deeper in to Eye Witness Testimony, looking specifically
at what can inhibit our ability to remember key things. So far we have watched a clip of a
staged crime, playing along with the questions as we watched, Liam’s memory and
concentration were very much put to the test.
We have already begun to look at our own memories, completing memory tests and tasks in
various forms! We have found that we are typical examples of memory recall, only
remembering 7+/-2 items!
We found Clive Wearing’s case, of a degenerative disease
affecting his memory, fascinating. Watching a documentary
about this once incredible man and the things he accomplished,
to the man with a now 7 second memory (the full documentary
is on You Tube if you wish to watch it).
We will be looking closely at
infamous criminals, studying
their cases and their
mentality. I am sure that
Liam will be very meticulous,
going through every detail.
Well Done on working so hard and so consistently Liam.
Hospitality at Yorkshire Coast College
As part of their offsite college rotation, some KS4 pupils are involved in a Hospitality
taster course which takes place in the catering department at Yorkshire Coast College
every week. Pupils are kitted up and the lesson is led by a college tutor who has so far
helped our pupils embrace the challenge of working in a professional kitchen.
Pupils have cooked and baked, from scratch, an array of varying recipes perfecting cooking
skills and techniques that will stay with them forever. Such lifelong skills include basic
peeling, chopping and safety in the kitchen but also how to make soups, sauces, prepare
meat and how to set the table to Table d’hόte standard.
Pupils have not only had the
opportunity to cook but also to add their own unique
style to their presentation, demonstrating flair and skill whilst keeping within the
parameters of restaurant standards. Pupils have exhibited exemplary behaviour
throughout each session showing a high level of maturity and responsibility when working
and have thoroughly enjoyed each session so far. We are excited to see what festive
treats and delights they are going to cook up in the run up to Christmas!
Construction at Yorkshire Coast College
During this term Elliot, Josh S, Liam S, Reece,
Bailey, Tyler H and Hayleigh have been going to
Scarborough TEC to study construction.
Under the guidance of Craig, pupils have been
learning a variety of construction skills, involving
brickwork and joinery, giving them a taster of what
is involved in the industry and experience for the
future.
During this term, pupils have been polishing their
bricklaying skills, learning about the different types of
equipment required to complete a professional job and
the all-important, health and safety procedures.
It was great to have Tommy, an ex-pupil, join us for
our most recent session giving pupils a masterclass
of his bricklaying skills and also give our current
Year 10’s and 11’s an insight into his successful
transition into college and construction
apprenticeship.
Thank you Tommy, it was really helpful!
Physical Education
P.E this term has been dependent on the forever changing weather, we have seen hail
storms, torrential rain, gusts of wind and the occasional ray of sunshine. At the beginning
of the term the two year groups, Year 10 and Year 11, were split in two.
The Year 10’s had a few sessions at Oliver’s Mount, turning their attention to improving
their ball skills, they decided to focus on Football and Baseball. Liam S and Josh S have a
particular skill for Baseball, hitting home runs that even out did Mr Pettit’s thunder strike
of a hit.
Elliot, Jamie and Darcy are keen footballers, running rings
around Mr Pettit and Mr Togwell. Mr Darrington, on the
other hand, was described as a “mountain of a goalie”, saving
shot after shot. The pupils underestimated Miss Mortimer’s
football skills, claiming that “girls aren't as good as boys”,
she felt she needed to prove a point! She was able to out do
the boys on accurate shots at the goal. We did have some
beautiful Autumn days, where the pupils enjoyed themselves
immensely playing with the leaves that had just fallen.
When the weather changed, we needed to head in doors. The
Year 11’s were already at the gym for their P.E lessons and
suggested that the Year 10’s join them for the rest of the term. Pupils are encouraged to
challenge themselves to either try something new or target a specific area of personal
fitness that they would like to improve. Although not every pupil enjoys the gym, it has
been a real test of their resilience to embrace the experience and challenge themselves to
achieve something from the session.
Tiah, Olivia, Rebecca and Jamie have been enjoying Yoga
sessions with Mrs Abdel-Karim. Working on their balance
and core strength, as well as the relaxing qualities that Yoga
has to offer.
Liam N has been keen to offer support to the Year 10’s,
offering advice and showing them how some of the machines
work, also explaining which part of the body can be targeted
by which exercise. This has given the Year 10 boys a real
boost in confidence and made the session really successful.
We are looking forward to some nicer weather in the new
year so we can enjoy some team sports, to really welcome
our new comers. Nothing like a bit of healthy competition !
High Pass
Key stage four pupils have enjoyed a variety of activities for their well-earned Friday high
pass treats.
On several weeks pupils have opted to walk
down to the amusements on South Bay.
Many games of pool have been played. It
was fantastic to see our newest member of
year 11, Hayleigh, take on the other
members of the tutor group. (I shall spare
their blushes by not naming those she beat!)
Some pupils also enjoyed a competitive game of ten bin bowling. Jamie was very relieved
to find that he didn’t have to wear the rather ‘groovy’ red and blue special shoes!
As the weather has not always been kind to us this term, we have frequently transformed
room 2 into a cinema! Pupils have enjoyed a wide variety of movies, whilst munching on a
selection of tasty treats. We’ve sung along to ‘The Greatest Showman’ and a few Disney
classics as well as being hooked by some more modern action flicks. In addition to this,
Becky has been truly pampered – having her hair curled and her nails manicured by the
very talented Miss Grainger.
Just before Halloween, pupils
had enormous fun carving
spooky pumpkins. Bailey was
particularly creative and
carved a Judge Dread style
helmet!
Well done key stage four!
We’re looking forward to
many more fun High Pass
sessions in the New Year.
OFFSITE
This term at the Gateway has been very busy. The pupils have been working hard and
enjoying their time whilst here.
Frankie has been working hard with Mr Togwell and Mr Moreno in his woodwork sessions
that he has twice a week. Frankie
came up with the idea of making a
table for his games console and
television. He has built the table from
scratch using wooden pallets. Frankie
has been greatly involved in this
session, coming up with ideas,
measuring wood, cutting, sanding,
using screws and nails.
Frankie has been following
instructions and guidance from Mr
Togwell and working well as a team! Hopefully it will be complete in time for Christmas.
Harriett and Michael enjoyed a trip to the Rotunda Museum, to explore and learn about
fossils and creatures found on the Yorkshire coast. They both completed a Quiz whilst
walking round. They found it very interesting and engaged well in the visit.
When we arrived back to Gateway, Michael re-wrote his quiz as a piece of writing and
Harriett decided to use pastels in Art to create a fossil.
Tiegan as been on several trips to local businesses, to
get an idea about work after school and what
qualifications she would need. Tiegan went on a trip to
Boyes, where she met with the manager, asked
questions about work and had a look around the store.
Tiegan then went on to visit Bookers at Eastfield.
Tiegan really enjoyed this trip, she was very talkative,
asked lots of interesting questions and engaged well
with staff members. Tiegan enjoyed the Butcher department, watching how beef mince
was made, how to weigh and price it up.
Elisha has enjoyed taking part
in cake decorating once a week
at the Gateway. She has been
coming up with creative ideas
and using her own techniques
whilst decorating the cakes.
Elisha has been using different
ingredients each week to
develop her cake designs and
see which works better.
Every week at The Gateway we go to
Sunset gym for our Physical
Education lesson. The pupils really
get into the vibe at the gym and
burn off their energy using weights,
running machine, and the punch bag.
Connor has worked super hard this
term. He follows instructions and
guidance well and pushes himself to
his full potential. Tyler has enjoyed
the punch bag and running the most.
During these sessions Connor and Tyler have formed a great friendship, Tyler has been
helping Connor, teaching him how to use certain equipment in the gym. Michael has been
concentrating on the weights and punch bag.
Well done guys!
SEAL
Wow! What a start to the year! Everybody has settled in well and we have been very
fortunate that SEAL (Social Emotional Aspects to Learning) has been extended across the
school so now all children, across all provisions are receiving and engaging in support which
will enablable them to become more resilient throughout their lives.
Firstly, we focused our lessons on ‘New Beginnings’. This is because, here at the PRS, we
recognise that transitions are an important part of children’s’ lives. It is a nurturing
principle that we have embedded.
We learnt about: relationships and skills you need to maintain relationships, what respect
is, conflict in emotions in friendships, managing our feelings, colours associated with
betrayal and how we can be more resilient when bad things happen to us.
Ellie Watson worked
particularly well
describing and
imagining the
feelings and the
thoughts associated
with betrayal. This
was very restorative,
Ellie. Well done!
In KS4 I was very impressed with Poppy and her understanding of
what a good friend is. She said “Good friends put you before
themselves”. I couldn’t put it better myself Poppy!
During the second half of the term we have been working towards
understanding emotions. How our emotions may affect our behaviour
and how our physiological responses can be an indicator to how we
regulate them.
Currently we are tapping into our creative side! All the pupils
throughout the school are taking part in a ‘Christmas Card Challenge’ The theme is ‘Our
Nurture Family’ and as the pupils often describe the PRU as their ‘family’ it was like the
competition was made for us! Nurture schools all across the country are taking part and
the winning cards will go on sale Christmas 2019! I am very impressed with the ideas from
all of the Children. Bobby has gone with Mrs Walton’s fantastic idea of a decorating a
Christmas tree with baubles and all the baubles representing some significance in his life.
Bobby took time decorating his card using a variety of different methods. Fantastic!
The Nurture Award!
I am so proud to have gained this award for our
school. So proud of how all the staff and children
have come together as a family (their words!) We
have seen such a massive improvement in pupils social
and emotional behaviour this term. They have told me
on many occasions they feel safe, belonged, loved,
accepted and are able to be more resilient as pupils
are aware that it is okay to make mistakes.
Learning in a Nurturing environment and embedding
principles to allow for this to happen has been an
incredible journey that I feel very privileged to have
been a part of.
Below is a snippet of the newspaper article that was
written about our accomplishment.
GO APE
To celebrate the completion of The Princes
Trust Achieve Award, KS4 pupils were
invited to spend the day at Dalby Forest and
take part in a variety of team building
activities and also to face the Go Ape Tree
Top Adventure challenge.
Both pupils and staff thoroughly enjoyed the ropes and the zip wire, spending the morning
up in the trees testing their nerves against a
series of swings and crossings suspended
20ft from the ground.
After lunch in the forest, their communication,
team building and listening skills were put to
the test via a series of activities designed to
encourage all participants to find a positive way
to cooperate with each other to find a solution
to the task at hand.
This was a real challenge, putting many out of
their comfort zone, however, with some pupils
showing strong leadership skills and role
modelling positive behaviour throughout, this
gave the rest of the group the drive and
confidence to get involved and have a go.
The day was a real success for all
and a positive experience which has
helped to strengthen relationships
between staff and pupils and given
pupils an opportunity to test their
resilience in a challenging
environment.
Scarborough Engineering week at the Scarborough Spa
In October, KS3 and KS4 pupils visited the Scarborough Spa to meet a multitude of local
companies as part of Scarborough Engineering week. Pupils were able to talk to
representatives and experience some of the skills and products many of our local
engineering companies use and produce right on our doorstep. Exhibitors included McCain
Foods Ltd, Sirius Minerals, Dale Power Solutions and Scarborough TEC to name but a few.
Pupils thoroughly enjoyed the experience and we hope it has given them some inspiration
and ideas for possible future careers.
Lots of virtual
Virtual welding with BAe
Future motorsport champions? Planning for a sustainable future
Team Work
Flamingo Land
On a previous employer visit to Flamingo Land the staff in the bird section of
the zoo were so impressed with Tiah’s enthusiasm, questions and obvious interest
that they offered her the opportunity to do some work experience. There have
been many barriers to overcome in getting to this point, not least the transport
around Ryedale! But Tiah now attends one day per week and is half way through
her four-month experience.
Tiah’s experience involves working outdoors nearly all day in the wet and cold of
the winter months and she starts by helping to clean out the aviaries, then
assisting in feeding the birds and checking that the birds are well and healthy.
Tiah has also been involved in the bird shows, holding exotic species such as the
Macaw and various birds of prey and has learnt how to teach the birds some
tricks such as picking up litter and matching blocks to the correct shapes.
“It’s fantastic! I love working there, I’ve made so many friends! Even though
the cleaning is hard work, it’s all worth it because both the ‘Exotic Birds’
and ‘Birds of Prey’ are a pleasure to be around. We do allsorts, from
feeding them to training them, even flying them around. It has also brought
my confidence up massively because of all the friendly faces. I really do
love it and I can’t wait to go back”
Judo
Some of our female pupils were asking for martial arts
or self-defence lessons so they feel safer when in the
community. To support this we have organised a Judo/
self-defence class off-site and Tiah has taken up this
opportunity every Wednesday after school. She has
been learning how to land and roll safely, safe positions
in which to defend herself and how to escape from
certain holds.
LIFE Fire Prevention Week
Some of our pupils were offered the opportunity to
attend a week with the North Yorkshire Fire and
Rescue service at Coldyhill Barracks. Rebecca was the
one pupil to complete this week successfully with 100%
attendance.
Rebecca started with some fitness sessions and learnt
how to take orders from the head firefighter. During
the week she learnt how to use the equipment, learning
about the function of the hose and how to unravel it
efficiently, climbing a ladder up onto a roof in a way to
keep yourself and others safe and how to control your
breathing when using a gas mask.
Rebecca also learnt some skills such as how to rescue
someone from a burning building; this involved finding
her way through a smoke-filled room wearing a gas
mask, whilst remaining calm at all times. She also learnt
some basic first aid skills and how to call for help. A lot
of these activities were done whilst wearing the same
heavy workwear of a regular fire fighter and climbing
in and out of the fire engine.
Rebecca received a certificate of attendance and made
some good friends and positive memories. We are very
proud of her achievements.
“I really enjoyed it. I was nervous at
first and wasn't sure if I would like it.
But now I’m glad I did it”
Hate Crime Presentation
PCSO Hinge came into school to give
a presentation on Hate Crime
separately to both Key Stages. Hate
Crime is a crime motivated by racial,
sexual, or other prejudice, typically
one involving violence.
We were shown a really moving video of an advert
that has recently aired on television, the advert
depicts people of all shapes, sizes, races and
sexualities embracing behind an X-RAY screen. It’s
aim was to spread the mantra of “Hate has no home
here”. The pupils were very mature throughout the
presentation, asking and answering questions,
discussing examples of Hate Crime and linking it to
an assembly that we had a week before.
The assembly was on Individuality, led by Miss
Grainger and Mrs Allison, we were shown a
recreation of a music video by the Black Eyed
Peas. The famous song of “Where is the love?”
pumped out in the KS4 kitchen, alongside a video
depicting Celebrities singing key verses over
images of war and suffering. This really hit
home with staff and pupils, Miss Abdel-Karim,
who was born in Lebanon, offered some insight
into living in a war torn country.
We are a family here at the PRS and
although every one of us is individual in many
ways, we are accepting of one another's
differences. It saddened us all to think that
people face hate every day in this modern world.
So we will spread the mantra among ourselves and
our peers that “Hate has no home here!”.
Picture Perfect
We have two rooms in the PRS building that are
specifically for the pupils when they need time to
themselves, one upstairs in Key Stage Three and
one down stairs in Key Stage Four. These rooms
really needed a makeover as the drab interiors
weren't conducive to the pupils relaxation.
Mrs Allison and Mrs Chopping went to a huge amount
of effort to draw intricate designs on the upstairs
room, an Ocean scene fills one wall, an Enchanted
Fairy Tale adorns the other wall. The pupils from
both Key Stages have thoroughly enjoyed spending
their spare time painting, to create a zone that
they find
relaxing.
We are looking forward to doing the same with
the downstairs room next term. We have had a
few ideas banded around; Seaside View, a
Forest, a Sunny Paradise...the list goes on!
BIRTHDAY CAKE FAIRY
It has been an extremely busy time for Mrs Broadbent since we
came back to school after the summer holidays as there will have
been 28 birthday cakes by the time we break up for Christmas!
Every pupil and staff member receive a birthday cake in a
flavour of their choice to share at break time with their P.R.U
family after we have all sung Happy Birthday! This is a wonderful
tradition that we have created here and it makes everyone feel
special on their birthday, it is a lovely treat and there is never a
crumb left!
Macmillan Coffee Morning
Scarborough Pupil Referral Unit has again marked Macmillan’s coffee morning with an
‘open house’ for family, friends and guests visiting the school. Liam S and Jamie have
taken the lead in organising the event with a very popular raffle, a book stall and the
much admired and frequented cake stall. The pupils were whipping up storm in the
kitchen for a week prior to the event, everyone was involved in some way.
The final total raised was an incredible
£176.51
Children in Need 2018
This year’s Children in Need event was planned and
implemented by Liam S, one of our pupils here at the
Scarborough Pupil Referral Unit. Liam arranged for the
staff and pupils to participate in a none uniform day. He
made posters advertising the event, encouraging
everyone to make a donation to Children in Need if they
were not in uniform or work clothes. Liam then arrived
early on the morning of the event to greet all staff and
pupils by rattling his specially prepared donation bucket
at them. The event had was a great success with
everyone taking part raising well over £40.
‘Purple4Polio’
On Wednesday 24th October, a group of year 10 pupils helped to make the world a
healthier place! Jamie, Elliot, Josh, Mrs Brindle and Mrs Waines, joined The Mayor of
Scarborough, Cllr. Joe Plant and members of The Rotary Club in planting purple crocus
bulbs in a bid to raise awareness and funds to eradicate polio across the planet. The event
was well attended by the press and SPRS were delighted to find themselves in the papers
once again!
The Purple4Polio initiative was launched over 30 years ago in 1985 when there were 125
polio endemic countries and hundreds of new cases every single day. This has been
reduced by 99.9%, so that in 2017, there were only 22 cases in the entire world. But, as
long as there is one single case anywhere, children everywhere are at risk. Thanks to
initiatives such as this, there are now only 3 countries which are still classed as endemic.
We planted purple crocuses because, when a child receives their life saving polio drops,
their little finger is painted with purple dye so it is clear they have received their life
saving vaccine.
Be sure to look out for our beautiful purple
blooms in the Spring opposite the Rotunda
Museum!
Cake and Cuppa
Pupils from schools across Scarborough were invited to support the BBC Radio York Big
Christmas Cake and Cuppa event held at the Scarborough Spa on Wednesday 12th
December and our pupils accepted the invitation with gusto, getting into the spirit of the
event by making a variety of cakes and mince pies to take with them on the day, giving a
little bit back to our local community.
The day itself was organised to give an opportunity for elderly members of our
community to get together with friends, have a cake and a cuppa, meet new people and
enjoy spending time with each other in the run up to Christmas.
I’m sure that most of us are aware that isolation and loneliness, especially at Christmas
time, are a very real cause for concern across our ageing population so making a special
effort to ensure that those in our local area who have a wealth of experience and form
the backbone of our community are given time
and attention to ensure they know how valued
they are, is of paramount importance.
It is difficult to put into words just how
exemplary and outstanding our pupils were, from
the moment they arrived at the Spa, to leaving
almost three hours later. Haylie R, Owen, Josh
S, Chloe, Liam S, Jamie and Tiah have made us
so very proud; it was a joy to see them
confidently engaging with people, clearing
plates and cups, taking drinks and cake to
people and also washing and drying up to help
the very busy tea ladies keep their station
running smoothly!
Pupils received a plethora of compliments from the event organisers and attendees and
it was truly remarkable to see them make such a huge effort for people they don’t know,
in unfamiliar surroundings, showing everybody what we already know they are capable of.
We look forward to future invitations to support events in our local community and hope
our outstanding pupils brought some Christmas joy and kindness to those who attended
on Wednesday!
Community Outreach Day
On December 18th we had our Community Outreach Day. After the success of the last
couple of years we were all very much looking forward to this!
This year in Key Stage 3 we decided we would
make Christmas table decorations and tree
decorations for the Rainbow Centre. Mrs Whipp
arranged for us to deliver these in time for their
Christmas Dinner on the Wednesday. Each tutor
group made a table decoration for the Rainbow
Centre. They used baskets and placed candles in
them and then decorated them using holly and fir
kindly donated from Mrs Whipp's garden. It
became a bit of competition between the pupils to
see who could decorate theirs the best! All pupils did a fantastic job! Each pupil made
tree decorations for the Rainbow Centre. There was a mixture of Christmas puddings,
robins, reindeer and Santa’s that the pupils had decided to make.
We also staged a nativity play that we performed at Briardene Retirement Home. All the
Key Stage 3 pupils took part directed by Mrs Walton. It was a really enjoyable morning
for everyone. In the afternoon we rehearsed our Nativity play written and directed by
Mrs Walton. We packed up our costumes and props and headed to Briardene Retirement
home first. We performed our play, all pupils were outstanding. The residents of the care
home enjoyed our performance and were singing along to all the songs! All pupils were so
polite and friendly, and Owen offered his help to a gentleman so he could see the play
better. The pupils came away feeling immensely proud of themselves and rightly so!
Key Stage 4 spent the Monday Arts and
Crafting in four different activities. The
pupils made Calendars, Cards, Picture
frames, Felt stockings, Cushions and
Beautiful Baubles. Hayleigh made the most
amazing stocking, putting so much care and
love into it, we had to donate it to the
centre! It was proudly displayed.
These masterpieces were to be sold, for a
small donation, on a stall in Scarborough
Community Library. The pupils did a
fantastic job, working together on the stall. They were polite and
courteous all day. Tiah, Rebecca and Josh BD set the bar very high,
singing Christmas Carols as they worked on their hand decorated stall.
Members of the public were keen to tell them just how fabulous they
were, pointing out that their efforts would be greatly appreciated by
the Rainbow Centre.
Well Done Key Stage Four!
Offsite Community Outreach day
After some contemplation and discussion between staff and
pupils, we decided that we wanted a very hands on approach
to our Community Outreach Day. The offsite pupils from
Gateway went litter picking with staff, along Scarborough
North Beach and the Open Air Theatre.
Before we set off from the Gateway we all watched a video
on how waste can damage animals. We already knew the
damage that rubbish, such as plastics, can cause the earth
and it’s inhabitants, but we didn't realise to what extent.
The pupils were astounded to learn the disturbing facts and
figures associated with rubbish and the animal population of
land and sea.
The pupils worked hard and managed to collect several black bins bags full off rubbish,
they were very proud of themselves, rightly so, as we are very proud of them also. We
hope to continue our efforts in cleaning up Scarborough. Well done Reggie, Michael and
Tyler.
Attendance
Attendance at school every day is essential to gaining the best grades possible.
Pupils who attend regularly (over 95% of the time) make, on average, a grade more
progress than pupils who attend less. If attendance falls below 80% it is almost
impossible to gain good GCSE grades.
If your child misses TWO days per month they are FIVE times more
likely to fall behind in English and maths.
68% of pupils with attendance ABOVE 95% achieve 5 GCSEs
Only 12% of pupils with attendance BELOW 95% achieve 5 GCSEs
It is important that pupils attend school as much as possible, Mrs Everingham and
Mrs Chopping are there to help pupils and parents in improving their attendance.
We know that our small group set up and supportive staff make it easier to attend
regularly at the PRU for many pupils.
Josh S (97%) Elliot (95%)
Bailey (100%),
The most improved attenders across the school are;
Liam N by 31% and Hayley R by 28%.
Well done to them and we look forward to seeing other pupils matching this next
term.
Before you go...
We have to say a fond farewell to two of
our members of staff this term, Mrs Whipp
and Mr Lord. Mrs Whipp is leaving us for
warmer climates, heading to Portugal! Mr
Lord is branching out to new opportunities.
We wish them both the best in their
futures.
A message from the management committee;
The Management Committee continue to meet three times a term to support
and challenge school leaders. We have been pleased to welcome Alexa Neale who
has joined us as a parent governor and who is able to offer a different
perspective. This term we were very proud of all the staff and pupils on the
successful achievement of a national award which recognises the hard work of
everybody who help to make Scarborough PRS such a special place. We are also
very aware of the Local Authority proposed funding changes and are working
with Ms Mallen to ensure that the pupils continue to get the best possible
education opportunities within a nurturing environment. We wish all the staff,
parents and carers and pupils a very happy Christmas and all the best for 2019.
Key Dates; From our family to
7th January: Full staff training day yours,
8th January: Back to school
25th February—4th March: School Holiday we wish you a
4th March: Back to school Merry Christmas
15th April– 29th April: School Holiday
29th April: Full Staff Training Day And
A Happy New Year