batley girls’ high school visual arts college good … news summer 2015 batley girls’ high...

Good NewsBatley Girls’ High School Visual Arts College

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Winter 2015

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WelcomeHere we are at the end of another very busy term, and how time flies! Needless to say, we have made the most of every minute, as you will see from this bumper edition of the newsletter.

As you will see in the following pages, at the start of term, all our Key Stage 3 and 4 students, accompanied by staff, parents and Governors of the school, embarked upon a variety of educational visits focusing on team building and our inspirational regional heritage. It was a military campaign, with 24 coaches and over 1000 students leaving Batley Girls’, but worthwhile, as it provided an incredibly positive learning experience and excellent bonding/team building for the whole school community.

In 2015, yet again our exam results have been fantastic. The Government’s early release of provisional

national data has, yet again, scored Batley Girls’ High School in the top 2% nationally for the value we add from the end of Key Stage 2 to the end of Key Stage 4 (GCSE). Our A level results are in the top 10% nationally for value added. Maths GCSE results have soared this year and are significantly above national averages. Results in Geography and History have also rocketed up as have the numbers of students achieving at least 3 A and A* scores.

It is therefore always with great pleasure that we are able to recognise the hard work and achievements for the previous year of our former Year 11 and Sixth Form students at our annual Celebration Evening. This year, as always, we were delighted to welcome back former students, their families and other guests for a memorable evening and we are very proud of all of them.

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Batley Girls’ High School Visual Arts CollegeGood News Summer 2015l Achievementl Respectl Transformation

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Other out of hours learning experiences are almost too numerous

to mention. The STEM team arranged a number of visits and events including a Seismology Day, a visit to the National Space Centre, Bloodhound Challenge Day and a STEM Careers Day.

We also held a PE/Sports Careers Event which was incredibly informative and successful, invited Governors and local businessmen and women to conduct mock interviews with Year 11 students and took parents and students to visit our

industrial partner Cummins Turbo Technologies to see the world of work. It is not surprising that Careers education at Batley Girls’ was highly praised in a recent Ofsted publication about good practice.

Peace and Harmony was the theme of this year’s ‘East Meets West’, which proved to be a very moving experience for all who attended.

Our Respect agenda is always at the forefront of our minds and as such our charitable work knows no bounds. After much fundraising, our

Indiability students, along with students from Upper Batley High School, made the long trip to India to work in schools for disadvantaged and disabled children. Since then, the school population as a whole voted for this year’s local, national and international charities, and chose Martin House Hospice, NSPCC

and Oxfam. Interact (our junior branch of the Rotary Club) will take the lead on charitable fundraising to support them. In addition, as always at this time of year, the students and staff have contributed to make many festive hampers that will be delivered to a variety of venues to benefit local residents.

First-hand experience of the Arts, gained through theatre and gallery visits, provides inspiration for our students. The experiences are very influential in developing students’ creativity across a range of disciplines. We are so lucky to have access to quality venues such as Cartwright Hall, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Alhambra Theatre and the Lowry on our doorstep and we take full advantage of them!

Learning for our senior students goes way beyond the classroom. Earlier in the term a number went on a residential to Newcastle University, our Business and Economics students visited Coca Cola whilst others took part in the Work Skills Chat Show! Our Sixth Form students are great ambassadors for the school, and their commitment to their studies is to be commended. We are delighted that Saudah Hafeji’s excellence in Physics has been recognised and rewarded with a placement at the Nuffield Foundation. We are also very proud of Aaisha Raja, who bravely sat on the Question Time panel amidst local MPs Jo Cox and Craig Whittaker along with Baroness Pinnock, and Liz Ward. The political debate that ensued was lively to say the least!

Please enjoy the pages ahead and have a well earned rest with friends and family.

Ann McCall and Julie Haigh, Co-Heads

Welcome (continued)

Continued from previous page

Julie Haigh Ann McCall

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The Learning Resource Centre

8.00am: School OpensThe LRC is a busy place especially now the weather is colder; students come pouring in to return or borrow books, put finishing touches to, or print out their homework. They can read a choice of daily and weekly newspapers or magazines, select a book in between catching up with national news on the Smart board or more local news from their friends.

8.30am-10.10am: Lesson TimeA quiet time with Year 12 and 13 students working independently or in pairs, either at tables in the LRC or in their own designated ICT room.

10.10am-10.30am: Break TimeAnother busy time with our librarians on the desk and lots of students browsing through the books and borrowing or returning them. Students are encouraged to use the time profitably and many make good use of the resources that can be borrowed, such as scissors, glue, the card cutter, felt tips etc to work on current projects for subjects such as RE, Art and Humanities.

10.30am-12.10pm: Lesson TimeA group might use the LRC as a work space to research information for a project or essay.

12.10pm–1.20pm: LunchtimeThe busiest time of the day! Priority is given to students doing homework or reading quietly. There can be over 100 students in here so there is a buzz of activity.

1.20pm-3.00pm – Lesson TimeMore Sixth Form study time. Maybe a class visits to use the laptops, work in the ICT room attached to the LRC or research information in the main Library area. The Learning Mentors might work with a student on an individual basis, or a student might visit the Careers Department based in and adjacent to the LRC.

3.00pm: School finishes...but the LRC is still a busy place with Xtend running from 3.00-5.00pm on Monday–Thursday and until 4.00pm on Friday, providing an opportunity to complete homework or take part in a variety of themed craft activities.

LRC News

Three of our librarians off duty enjoying reading

Year 8 Humanities class researching information for an essay about the Industrial Revolution

This term has been very busy in the Learning Resource Centre, otherwise known as the LRC or the Library, with a new group of librarians to train and a whole new Year 7 group to introduce to the LRC.

Our new librarians have proved themselves to be capable and reliable and are very helpful at break and lunchtimes, working at the desk to loan out books so the Manager on duty can circulate, answering queries and keeping students on task. The Year 7s are making excellent use of the Library to borrow books and DVDs and many come here to work at break and lunchtimes.

In November we ordered over 80 new fiction books which have proved extremely popular. Most of the titles were suggested by regular users of the LRC who always know when new books are coming out and what will be appreciated by our students.

This half-term Year 7 and 8 students received their ‘Bookbuzz’ book, which they chose from a list compiled by the ‘Booktrust’; this is a national initiative to encourage reading by 11 and 12 year olds. The school funds the purchase of these books for the students and the scheme definitely achieves its goal as we have had nearly 3,000 fiction books borrowed in the last three months.

To give you an idea of the varied uses of the LRC here is the routine for a typical day:

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Question Time

Batley Girls’ High School’s first ever ‘Question Time’ event was a great success as 450 students put a variety of distinguished guests through their political paces.

With a panel including Jo Cox (Labour MP for Batley and Spen), Craig Whittaker (Conservative MP for Calder Valley), Baroness Pinnock (Liberal Democrat Life Peer and Kirklees Councillor for the Cleckheaton Ward), Liz Ward (Ambassador for the international WE Day organisation) and Aaisha Raja (Batley Girls’ Student Political Lead), this proved to be a very high profile debate.

The questions were set by Sixth Form and Year 10 students and included a rigorous discussion of the air strikes in Syria, tuition fees, the voting age and whether we still need feminism.

Deputy Head, David Cooper, stated that, “We believe as a school that this kind of event is vital in order to stimulate genuine political debate and discussion of the major issues we are facing. The future of our

community is in the hands of our young people and we couldn’t have asked for a more interested and well-informed audience. The panel were fantastic and our students learned a great deal from their eloquence, professionalism and debating skills.”

Aaisha Raja also commented that, “It was a great honour to be involved in such an event and to be able to raise some of the issues that are important to young people within our community, nationally and

internationally. This event couldn’t have been better timed and it was great to be involved. I hope it will have inspired some of my peers to register to vote, debate the issues and see politics as something they need to engage with.”

The school would like to thank our panellists for giving their valuable time and everyone who was involved in ensuring that the event was a success. We are already beginning to plan the next one!

Sixth Form and Year 10 at ‘Question Time’

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Celebration

Achievement, Respect and Transformation Awards

Students from Year 9 gathered to celebrate the end of term and receive awards based on Respect, Achievement and Transformation.

Students who receive the Transformation Award do so because they have made excellent progress in their behaviour and attitude towards school this term. Those students are

● Safiyyah Karolia 9KHS ● Natasha Parkinson 9KEC/LJS ● Sadia Alam 9STH ● Zainab Vaseem 9HJS ● Shabeela khan 9RED ● Erin Buchknall 9JAW

Students who receive the Respect Award do so because they have made a positive contribution to the life of the school and have shown respect to their peers and their learning. Those students are:

● Courtney Haigh 9KEC/LJS ● Ayesha Khan 9KHS ● Aamina Aswat 9STH ● Kulthum Sacha 9JRA ● Fozia Muhammed 9HJS ● Aneesa Bismillah 9RED ● Mariam Rehman 9JAW

Students who receive the Achievement Award do so because they are making superb progress against their targets. Those students are:

● Cainat Hussain 9HJS ● Raeesah Kayat 9JAW ● Taaibah Azad 9JRA ● Zahra Adam 9KEC/LJS ● Fatima Sidat 9KHS ● Hawabibi Modan 9RED ● Sadia Alam 9StH

Mrs Sykes, the Year 9 Pastoral Manager, selected Rebecca Longster for the Pastoral Manager Award. This is due to the transformation Rebecca has made since joining Year 9.

Ms Dunkley, the Year 9 Progress Leader, selected Courtney Haigh for the Progress Leader Award. This was due to her excellent performance at ‘East Meets West’.

Year 9 Students Year 10 gathered to celebrate the end of term and students received awards based upon Achievement, Respect and Transformation.

The following students were nominated by their Form Tutors to receive an award for Respect. This is because they have made a special contribution to the life of the school. These students are:

● Aaishah Vance 10SGS ● Saffiyah Norsarka 10AF ● Safiyaah Sidat 10NG ● Saudah Raja 10MSO ● Aaminah Delair 10NAD ● Suman Shabir 10CK ● Kuthoom Lorgat 10NJI

The following students were nominated by their Form Tutors to receive an award for Transformation. This is because they have made improvements in their attitude towards school and their learning this term. These students are:

● Isbah Assin 10ACF ● Khadija Varachhia 10NG ● Menahil Farrukh 10MSO ● Amy Conway 10NAD ● Muneebah Akudi 10SGS ● Bushra Manawar 10CK ● Mary Joy Rubion 10NJI

The following students were nominated for Achievement Awards. They are all making great progress compared to their targets. These students are:

● Hafsah Hussain 10ACF ● Tasneem Patel 10CK ● Sara Daji 10MSO ● Sana Valli 10NAD ● Zainab Laher 10NG ● Kulthoom Lorgat 10NJI ● Safiyyah Patel 10SGS

Miss McShane, the Year 10 Pastoral Manager, nominated Raheesa Hussain for the Pastoral Manager Award due to her new positive attitude to school and the wider life of the school.

Ms Dunkley, the Year 10 Progress Leader, nominated Ellie Balopi for her moving contribution to ‘East Meets West’.

Year 10 Students

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A level and GCSE students attended the Batley Girls’ High School Celebration Evening event on Monday 14 December to receive their certificates and prizes.

Co-Heads Ann McCall and Julie Haigh commented that, “This was a wonderful event and testament to the hard work of all our students and staff. We would like to congratulate each and every member of our school community for another set of outstanding A level and GCSE results”.

Shauni Sanderson from the University of Leeds was Guest Speaker and spoke of her personal, inspirational journey into the world of academia. She also said that, “Batley Girls’ is a special place and one that has a great connection with many staff at Leeds – it’s a joy to work with students that are so kind, considerate and curious”. A number of dignitaries were present in the audience, including the Mayor and Mayoress, Governors and representatives from partner and community organisations.

Entertainment was delivered by Courtney Haigh who provided a wonderful singing performance and by our

Co-Head Students, Aabida Patel and Safiyyah Hafiji, who had written a special piece about the value of education.

We are especially proud of our Special Award winners, who were as follows:

● The Achievement Award: Megan Sallery● The Respect Award: Adisa Pudic● The Transformation Award: Amber Wardley● The Mariya Karani Award for Endeavour: Kiran Firdos● The Cummins Turbo Technologies

STEM Prize: Rebecca Sokol● The Rotary Cup for Service to the

Community: Samera Khalil

Former student and now Governor at the school, Samera Khalil, closed the proceedings with a joyous speech about perseverance, the challenges that young people face and their ability to overcome barriers and thrive.

The school would like to thank everyone involved in making this a wonderful event.

Celebration

Students Celebrate their Success at Batley Girls’

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On Thursday 3 December, Batley Girls’ High School held its annual ‘East meets West’ event.

This year, the theme was ‘PEACE and HARMONY’. Never has there been a more poignant time to consider the power of PEACE and the need for HARMONY. Here at Batley Girls’ High School, respect is manifested in how we treat each other and respond to the challenges/plights faced by fellow human beings, and we know that how we interact with our neighbours, be it locally or globally, makes us who we are.

When the world sometimes seems to have gone mad and is difficult to understand, we as a community, as a school of sanctuary, stand together, showing respect to all and demonstrating how to live in PEACE and HARMONY. The evening provided us all with an opportunity to take time out of our hectic lives to

consider and reflect upon what is important, and nothing could be more important than PEACE and HARMONY.

Year 7 students showcased the work they had undertaken in their Humanities and Languages lessons, linked to sanctuary in an imaginative and thought provoking exhibition.

Our school community has already identified how we can reach out to others and make real connections, by identifying three different charities that they wish to support this year:

Local charities: Martin House Hospice & Winter Hampers National charity: NSPCC International charity: Oxfam

East Meets West

Peace and Harmony

consider and reflect upon what is important, and nothing

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Guests were invited to circulate around the many stalls where gifts could be purchased and

donations made to support the work of these charities.

Our actions are driven by humanitarian values of compassion and empathy and our desire to make this world a better place for all - the very same values that are taught, promoted and shared across all the major world religions. This common thread defines us as a community, it epitomises our Respect agenda and gives us cause to celebrate.

The formal part of the evening explored the theme of

PEACE and HARMONY through story-telling, poetry, drama and music. It was a very moving event and suffice to say, there was not a dry eye in the house.

We couldn’t fail to be impressed with the contributions of our students Courtney Haigh, Adisa Pudic, Ellie Balopi, Fattouma Ben Abdallah, Juwairiyyah Patel, Zahrah Mulla, Khadija Sharlala and Sophie Clark, and also all of the members of Year 7 who took part.

And a huge thank you goes to our special guests, the Reverend Lesley Mattacks, Emily Ntshangase-Wood and Iram Hussain as well as to all the staff and students who helped to make this the best ‘East meets West’ ever!

East Meets West

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Indiability 2015

Ten students from Batley Girls’ High School and Upper Batley High School have recently returned from a life changing visit to India.

The students visited and stayed at a school for the deaf and hearing impaired in Navsari and also a school for the blind and visually impaired in Saputara. They worked with students with various disabilities, helping them to undertake many activities including sports, arts and crafts, music, drama and teaching English.

In order to make the visit possible, the students from Batley Girls’ and Upper Batley High Schools spent three years fundraising and, as a result, the schools in India were also able to benefit from a donation of funds towards a physiotherapy room and for meals on a special day every year.

A Life Changing Experience

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Indiability 2015

Zainab Patel, a Year 13 student at Batley Girls’ High School, has recorded her memories. “This experience was immensely rewarding as we forged unforgettable friendships with the children. We were able to teach them new games, songs and new hobbies that they had never experienced before and will be able to cherish.

“At the school for the deaf and hearing impaired, the students welcomed us and patiently taught us how to communicate through sign language. We were able to witness the time and effort the students put into preparing for a cultural show and were invited to the performance where they showcased their dancing skills and talents.

“The school for the blind and visually impaired was a completely different experience. We had to use different methods of communication, including using Gujarati, to communicate with the children. At this school we focused on more sensory activities to allow the children to touch and feel the objects they were playing with.


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“As we worked with the children and shared similar experiences we began to appreciate everything that we took for granted. We have many memories of this trip which we will remember forever. Indiability has shown us the importance of teamwork, compromise and empathy. The children at both schools taught us how important perseverance and motivation are because, despite their disabilities, these do not stop them from achieving their dreams. They are an inspiration to us all.”

Atyab Ranguni, a Year 10 student at Upper Batley High School said: “Indiability 2015 was a life changing experience. Working with the children, it made us ponder over our life and realise how lucky we are to have everything we need and want. As a group, we were shown the reality that developing countries don’t have what we have. We have cold clean water, plenty of food and nice clothes to wear but in India they don’t. We should be grateful about every little thing we have. Not all young children here are able to attend school and get an education.”

Indiability 2015

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The Big Day Out

The start of the Autumn term featured a whole school event, involving approximately 1,000 students, called ‘The Big Day Out’.

All our Key Stage 3 and 4 students, accompanied by staff, parents and Governors of the school, left Batley Girls’ in a total of 24 coaches to embark upon a variety of educational visits, focusing on team building and our inspirational regional heritage.

Year 7 experienced the cultural and geographical heritage of Yorkshire with a tour of Haworth and the Brontë Parsonage as well as a visit to Cartwright Hall and an historical treasure hunt around Lister Park. The students found out about the legacy of the Brontës, which next year sees the start of bicentenary celebrations of the Brontës’ births.

In addition, the experience will also link to a module that students are studying in English. Students had the opportunity to walk on the moors and all enjoyed the time they had at both places, admitting that they often took being from Yorkshire for granted.

Exploring our Regional Heritage

Year 8 students were able to admire the awe-inspiring Yorkshire landscape at Malham and enjoy walks taking in spectacular views of Janet’s Foss and the magnificent Malham Cove. The weather was amazing and allowed all to enjoy a picnic lunch in the sunshine. Students returned after a day of fresh air and fun, tired but happy.


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Year 9 students enjoyed a day at York, the capital of our county, with a scenic boat ride along the River Ouse, a walking tour of the historic centre and a visit to the iconic York Minster with its stunning architecture. Students admired the architecture and decoration of the cathedral and enjoyed a picnic in the sunshine in the gardens of the Minster.

Year 10 students had a traditional British seaside day out, playing beach games, flying kites and building sandcastles on Whitby beach and eating delicious fish and chips. They learnt about the Dracula connection to Whitby and took part in quizzes and activities concentrating on Gothic, mathematical and geographical features. They then climbed the 199 steps to the Abbey where they could enjoy the spectacular views of the coast.

Big Day Out, continued from previous page


The Big Day Out

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An Arts, Culture and History theme gave Year 11 students the wonderful opportunity of visiting the many places of learning in Liverpool, including the excellent Slavery Museum, the Tate and Walker Galleries and the statues on Crosby Beach. The students had a fabulous time and a glorious sunny picnic on Albert Dock.

“ In primary schools we went on lots of different trips learning about other cultures but I have never before learnt about our own county’s history. It was unforgettable.”

“ I found the Big Day Out a really good experience because I found out a lot about the history of Yorkshire.”

“ I really enjoyed The Big Day Out, because I have heard so much about the Brontë sisters’ books; it was good to know about their family history.”

“York Minster was very surprising.”

“Great views on the boat trip.”

“ I loved the view from the top of the 199 steps – it was simply breathtaking.”

“ I enjoyed every part of Whitby and the more I enjoyed it the more I realised I was learning.”

“ We got to spend time on the beach with all of our friends and run in the sea which was freezing.”

“ It was a brilliant day because it was a good opportunity to know your teachers and spend the day with your friends.”

“ Liverpool was amazing. Thank you for the trip!”

One of our Governors, who joined the York visit, remarked, “Seeing York, through the students’ eyes, was inspiring to me”.

Parents who accompanied Year 10 to Whitby thoroughly enjoyed their visit and commented that they had had a fantastic day. “We had so much fun on the beach and Year 10 behaved impeccably.”

It was an incredibly positive, worthwhile learning experience and excellent bonding/team building for the whole school community.

We were also complimented by the general public on the exemplary behaviour of our students and the evident respect they demonstrated towards others around them.

Students loved their days out:

Big Day Out, continued from previous page

The Big Day Out

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Maths

● Need help with Maths?● Struggling with one particular topic? ● Missed a Maths lesson and want to catch up? ● Want to use the Internet to complete your homework?

The Maths Department runs a weekly drop-in session, available for any student in any year group. Please come along to Room 6 (the Maths Computer Room) on Thursday lunchtimes. Mrs Gregory will pleased to see you.

Many congratulations to Kavita Arif (13BTE) for her success in the recent Senior Maths Challenge.

She has been awarded a Bronze certificate, which is an excellent achievement.

The Intermediate Maths Challenge takes place on Thursday 4 February and is aimed at gifted mathematicians in Years 9, 10 and 11.

If you are interested in taking part, please try the questions on the UKMT website: www.ukmt.org.uk/individual-competitions

Alternatively, please speak to Mrs Milnes for further information.

Maths Drop-In sessions are here for you!

UKMT Maths Challenge News

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http://www.ukmt.org.uk/individual-competitions/

http://www.ukmt.org.uk/individual-competitions/


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Interfaith Book Club

The first meeting for the Reading Group this academic year took place in October, just before half term.

‘All The Light We cannot See’ by Anthony Doerr was the book chosen for discussion. It is a story with a war setting but it actually deals with many themes other than war, such as friendship, family love, loyalty, trust, secrets, greed and selflessness.

On the whole the book was well received, though there was some discussion about the disappointment of the ending where one of the

main protagonists died. Several of the readers enjoyed the fact that the novel explores some unusual aspects of the war, such as the German Technical Schools that recruited talented students in the hope of making technical advances that would help the war.

The novel also highlighted how difficult situations, such as war, often bring out the inner strength of people, giving them the courage to face things that they wouldn’t have done in peacetime.

The meeting was well attended by the ladies from the local community, the Community Liaison Police Officer, some teaching staff and lots of students. It was lovely to see some Key Stage 4 students there, as we are always looking to “grab” others who love reading and talking about what they have read. The next novel (‘Still Alice’) has already been chosen by Miss Seager and everyone took a copy, eager to start the next one.

The next meeting will take place in February 2016.

All the Light We Cannot See

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Art and Design

Wearable ArtYear 8 students are learning lots of 3D skills with a range of materials in preparation for making their final piece for the ‘Wearable Art’ project.

Working in small groups, the girls have been inspired by garments worn throughout history, in different cultures and the latest crazy catwalk pieces.

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Art and Design

A visit to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park on a rainy Tuesday afternoon was a hit with Sixth Form students recently.

A Level and A2 Photography students took advantage of breaks in the showers to put their skills into action in response to their individual themes, taking photographs amongst sculptures,

historic and modern architecture and the beautiful YSP scenery.

Students commented:

“We had the opportunity to photograph different things from those we see normally, such as sculptures and landscape which was very useful to develop and demonstrate our skills.”

“This trip allowed us to put the skills we have worked on into practice to capture good quality photographs in a beautiful setting.”

“We had a wide variety of subjects to photograph and it benefited us because we were able to link the artwork and scenery with our personal themes.”

Visit to Yorkshire Sculpture ParkWhat a View!

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Applied Art and Design

KS4 BTEC Working in 3DYear 10 student, Mariam Tariq, has designed and made a 3 dimensional jigsaw using manufactured board, computer aided design and a laser cutting machine.

Mariam is investigating the work of 3D visual practitioners and is developing a product inspired by the theme of movement, speed and dance.

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Humanities & RE

On Thursday lunchtimes Miss Mamaniat, Mr Dresser and Mr Jenkinson run a club for Year 7 and 8 students entitled the ‘History Mystery Tour’.

This is an exciting opportunity for students to be creative and to understand that Geography, History and RE shape each other throughout time and do not exist in isolation.

This term the students have begun to understand how the Earth is formed, by building their own Earth. They have used newspaper, glue, balloons and colourful paper to produce an eye catching insight into the inner workings of the planet.

Next term, the students will use the knowledge of the Internet and books to research the Roman Empire and, using the knowledge of how the Earth is formed and shaped, produce a series of Roman forts in different parts of the world, from Britannia to Germania, finishing in Thracia, to show how the Romans were able to use the geography of Europe to their advantage for thousands of years.

The final work will be displayed in classrooms for others to learn how the Geographical, Historical and Religious fantastically link together.

History Mystery Tour

On Saturday 12 November 40 Year 7 students were taken to The Lowry in Manchester to watch the wonderful storyline of ‘Hetty Feather’.

As these students’ progress throughout their subjects was excellent, they really did deserve to enjoy a reward visit for being exceptional! The girls thoroughly enjoyed their day and, as many said, reading the book does no justice to being able to watch it live.

Despite most of the scenes being very humorous some were equally as sad, leaving Mr Jenkinson in tears!

“ I am a huge fan of reading the Hetty Feather books; the play was much better!” (Aadilah Patel 7ZSZ)

“ I really enjoyed the day out watching one of the best plays I have ever seen.” (Rabeeah Mushtaq 7ZSZ)

“ The day to Manchester was so much fun – I wish we could have stayed for longer!” (Ammarah Dokhrat 7ZSZ)

Staff and students were united in their shock at the recent attacks in Paris.

Students were given the opportunity to reflect upon what had happened and discuss some of the wider issues connected with the attacks in their RE lessons.

As well as thinking about what had happened in the attacks they also reflected upon some of the wider global issues, the possible consequences and further action. All students took the lessons very seriously and as well as expressing their views they listened carefully to the views of others.

Many students felt that they were more aware of the issues and appreciated the opportunity to air their concerns and thoughts.

Students Reflect on the Paris Attacks in RE

Hetty Feather

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thracia


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Fine Art

As part of their current Portfolio project ‘In My World’, Year 10 Fine Art and BTEC students visited local gallery Cartwright Hall over a series of weeks during the first half term of the year.

Students worked enthusiastically and productively studying a range of different artworks exploring cultures and identity.

Year 10 Visit to Cartwright Hall Art Gallery

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‘The Big Draw’ is an international event that takes place through the month of October each year in many different venues.

‘The Big Draw’ is the world’s biggest drawing festival with thousands of enjoyable, and mainly free, drawing activities connecting people of all ages with many different spaces.

‘The Big Draw’ is for anyone who loves to draw, as well as those who think they can’t!

During October, each person in the school was given a template to fill in to show visually what makes them unique.

We have delighted in viewing all the designs, some with photos collaged, knitting and cut shapes, as well as fabulous original and personal drawings – thank you to everyone who contributed!

The artworks can be viewed all around school on the screens currently.

‘The Big Draw’ Comes to Batley Girls’ High School!

See the following page for more images!

Art

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ArtBig

Draw 2015

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Guides

This term we welcomed lots of Year 7 students to our Guide Unit.

The first big news of the term was that we have changed our name to 26th Batley Girls’ High School Guide Unit to reflect that we belong to the school. We started the term by working on our ‘Healthy Eating Go For It!’. A ‘Go For It!’ is a key part of the Guide programme and requires that the girls work together to complete activities on a topic over a period of four weeks, although as we meet for a shorter time period than most units it will take us a lot longer to complete!

We ran a very popular stall at Open Evening, even though it did not really fit in with our Healthy Eating as we made edible camp fires out of digestives, chocolate spread, matchmakers and strawberry laces. It was very tasty though.

Then we started to look at ‘East Meets West’. The theme this year was ‘Peace and Harmony’ and we decided to look at the idea of food that promotes peace and harmony. We split into different groups. One group looked at comfort food and ran a survey about what kinds of food we like to eat to comfort us and if there were any different ways in which food comforted us - eating with a spoon proved to be very popular.

Another group looked at how food is used in different religions, especially in Judaism and looked at the Seder meal and when it is used.

One group looked at Syrian home comforts food. This project was devised with Miss Richardson so that students could research and cook Syrian home cooked traditional foods by using genuine refugee recipes.

The message behind the Syrian home comfort cooking project is: when times get hard and people are struggling, something as simple as a home cooked meal can lift their spirit and help them to feel more at home, at a time where nothing is familiar.

Our Syrian recipes consist of Falafal stuffed Pitta breads, Harisi (semolina cake) and Dolma (stuffed vegetables). These were served at the ‘East Meets West’ event to give guests a true taste of Syrian food.

We are now going to look at our new members making their Promise and how we would like to celebrate this.

26th Batley Girls’ High School Guide Unit

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Failure Challenges

The Respect Faculty sub-group working with ‘Failure’ challenges have been so impressed with Year 8 who rose to our first challenge.

In an assembly the whole year group were challenged to see who could learn the poem ‘It Couldn’t be Done’ off by heart over the next two weeks. Fifteen resilient and committed students came together to recite the poem two weeks later with no support or prompts. They performed exceptionally confidently and accurately.

The students have asked for more challenges now – we look forward to seeing how many of you rise to the next challenge!

“ I thought I was not going to do it but I tried and achieved it. If I can do it, you can too.” Zainab Karolia, Year 8.

“ You don’t have to quit, try, try, try again because you’ll eventually achieve.” Nimra Kausar, Year 8

“ It was hard. I wanted to give up but I didn’t. I tried and tried so I got it done.” Hifzah Arfan, Year 8

‘It Couldn’t Be Done’ or Could It?

‘It Couldn’t Be Done’ by E Guest

Somebody said that it couldn’t be done, But, she with a chuckle replied That “maybe it couldn’t,” but she would be one Who wouldn’t say so till she’d tried. So she buckled right in with the trace of a grin On her face. If she worried she hid it. She started to sing as she tackled the thing That couldn’t be done, and she did it.

Somebody scoffed: “Oh, you’ll never do that; At least no one has done it”; But she took off her coat and she took off her hat, And the first thing we knew she’d begun it. With a lift of her chin and a bit of a grin, Without any doubting or quiddit, She started to sing as she tackled the thing That couldn’t be done, and she did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done, There are thousands to prophesy failure; There are thousands to point out to you one by one, The dangers that wait to assail you. But just buckle it in with a bit of a grin, Just take off your coat and go to it; Just start to sing as you tackle the thing That “couldn’t be done,” and you’ll do it.

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KS3 Design Technology

Year 7 Product DesignYear 7 Product Design students have designed and made a stationery/desktop storage solution using wood, acrylic and computer aided design.

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TextilesStudents in Years 7 and 8 Design Technology have been making useful fabric storage products in their Textiles lessons. Both projects have good numeracy links, explored in a very creative way.

In Year 7, students have learned how to block print their own design in a repeat pattern. They selected colours and experimented on fabric before creating some really fabulous drawstring pouches.

The range of beautiful patterns created from the geometric shapes was excellent!

One student even practised block printing and tie dye at home. We think her T-shirt looks great!

In Year 8, students have created a 3D storage container from a 2D piece of fabric. They decorated the fabric with bold, bright colours using tie dye and block printing, before using their own pattern piece as a template.

These containers can be made at a whole range of different sizes, and from recycled fabrics too – so they can be good for the environment! They are also completely reversible – great when you fancy a bit of a change.

If you are interested in making your own container, and would like a pattern, please see Miss Saxelby.

Well done Year 8. We hope you will enjoy using these fabric containers at home and would love to see pictures of them in use!

KS3 Design Technology

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Life Sciences

Batley Girls’ High School saw its first ever Sports Careers event take place for Year 8 students and parents this term.

The day involved exhibitors from a wide range of sporting careers delivering sessions for our Year 8 students and parents, to give them a flavour of just a few jobs that the sporting world has to offer. Representatives attended from both the Army and Sport England; Leeds City College ran sessions looking at Sports Psychology, Nutrition and Anatomy, while Bradford College delivered a session on Sports Rehabilitation. Burnley College looked at ‘football is the business’ and

England footballer Sue Smith ran a session on football and team building.

The sessions were extremely engaging and students found them very informative and thoroughly enjoyed the event. Afterwards, everyone attended a speech by Sue Smith; both students and staff found it very charismatic and inspiring. During the speech it was amusing to hear the girls cheering every time Sue scored a goal on the video as if it was happening at that moment.

The day would not have happened or been such a success without all the help

and support from everyone involved; I would therefore like to thank the students for making us proud as always, the PE team, the Sixth Form students and ambassadors, the Year 8 Pastoral Team, Sanya Nawaz, the caretakers, the ICT support staff, the photographers, the catering staff, the exhibitors for their excellent sessions and also Karen Turton and Iffat Ahmad for their fantastic organisation and support.

If any students or parents have any questions regarding careers in sport, please contact Miss J Ramsden: [email protected]

Batley Girls’ High School Inspiring Women into Sporting Careers Event

Throughout this term Batley Girls’ High School, in conjunction with the School Games Organiser and the North Kirklees School Sports Partnership, have hosted ten fantastic sporting opportunities involving our local primary schools.

These festivals and competitions

include Cross-Country Football, Sports Hall Athletics, Archery multiskills and multiskills for children with special educational needs and have resulted in over 800 students from Years 1 to 6 taking part.

We have also trained over 250 Year 5 and 6 students in Sports Leadership

to enable them to act as sports leaders in their own school, instigating sporting activities and competitions during PE lessons and break times.

Sporting Activities with Primary Schools

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Once again the PE Department has held the annual ‘Let’s Move It, Move It’ dance competition with the proceeds this year going to Batley Girls’ High School Community Hamper Appeal.

The competition saw dancers and dance groups from a variety of years come together to display performances from a wide range of dances such as Street Dance, Hip Hop, Bangra and Bollywood.

There was also a staff performance by the PE team which always goes down a treat and gets a very warming and loud reception. The overall winners for KS3 were: Year 7s ‘Triple A’, and KS4 winners were: Year 10 duo ‘Flashlight’.

Life Sciences

‘ Let’s Move It, Move It’

In early October the Football Association launched its campaign to encourage more women and girls to take part in Football at all levels of the game.

With the England team doing so well in this year’s World Cup and women’s Football continuing to be the fastest growing participation sport around the globe, there has never been a better time to take an interest in ‘The Beautiful Game’.

As part of a week of Football related activities, 23 students from Years 7, 8 and 9 took part in our own tournament on the Astro Turf. It was great to see so many girls finding the energy after a day at school, to play in what proved to be very competitive matches. Three games were played and some fantastic goals were scored in each one; the standard of passing, control and movement improved as the afternoon went on. Well done to everyone who took part.

There are many opportunities for our students to play Football, both in and out of school. There are several extra-curricular clubs running at lunchtime and after school, as well as a number of local junior Football Clubs (including Batley, Norristhorpe and Gomersal) who run girls’ teams. As always, just ask the PE Team for further details.

Mr C Evans

PE has seen a number of Sixth Form students wanting to gain work experience by helping out in PE lessons this year which is great news.

The students from the Year 13 Cambridge Technical in Sport Course Level 3 have been volunteering in their free lessons to help and support PE classes. They have worked closely with PE staff, helping to deliver parts of lessons and built excellent relationships with younger students.

Miss J Ramsden, Head of PE

Sixth Form Students Lead the Way

National Girls’ Football Week

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Life Sciences

As the new school year is well under way, so too are the Sports Clubs down in PE.

As in recent years the PE Lunchtime Clubs are proving a big hit with Key Stage 3 students; however we have also seen a rise in the number of Key Stage 4 students attending clubs this term. There is a broad range of clubs on offer every lunchtime that run from 12.30pm-1.10pm and all that we ask is that students bring their trainers with them.

Back by popular demand for a third year running is Dance Club on Mondays with Mrs Richardson where groups have been preparing for the ‘Let’s Move It, Move It’ dance competition. Even if performing to an audience isn’t for you, we would still love to see you come down and join in.

We have once again strengthened our community links with coaches from Kirklees Young People’s Services, who have been working with our students in a mixture of sports on a Wednesday lunchtime which ranges from Tennis, to Netball and also to Football. This is also a very well attended club, and it is great to see our students interacting with coaches from the community in such a positive manner!

Miss Ramsden and Miss Davies have been providing clubs including Netball, Badminton and Multi Skills on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Mr Evans continues to run Football Club on Friday lunchtimes for Years 7 and 8 when the weather permits. Overall another fantastic term in PE clubs’ attendance during lunchtimes.

One new club this term has been the introduction of an after school Football Club on Thursdays where each week students have fun learning new skills and playing games. Although mainly attended by Year 7s and some Year 9s we would love to see some new faces from any year groups. Students can go to Xtend at the end of the club and then catch the late bus home at 5.00pm. We are hoping to start a school team so that we can enter tournaments and play fixtures against other schools. So if you like Football and you want to learn some new skills, or even just to have fun or keep fit, then come along and join in!

Football Club is on a Thursday after school from 3.15pm-4.15pm. It is open to all year groups and takes place in the Sports Hall.

Miss R Davies

Clubs

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A group of Year 13 Biologists attended an afternoon at Leeds University.

The students carried out polymerase chain reaction and gel electrophoresis. This included using a micropipette to measure out DNA polymerase, primers and nucleotides to make a DNA sample. This sample was then run through a gel to produce a DNA finger print.

The students valued this experience as “it was something that we couldn’t do in the classroom” and “it was an inspiring experience”. The visit also inspired students to consider a career in Sciences.

Year 13 Visit to Leeds University

Karen Parny accompanied a group of Year 9 students when they attended a Physics Astronomy masterclass at the Grammar School at Leeds (GSAL), one of the partner schools in our Ogden Trust partnership.

“The morning spent at GSAL was an amazing experience. The presentation from the National Space Academy allowed the students to see the impact of space research in our everyday life, such as the development of satellite communications and nappies.

“We were also introduced to a fun and realistic model of our solar system that put in perspective how big space actually is. The highlight of the morning was making a very close model of a comet with everyday kitchen ingredients (except the dry ice!!).

“We finished the session making model rockets, which were propelled using an air pressure pump. All the students enjoyed the highly entertaining and engaging activities. The visit has certainly developed in our students a clear interest for the subject of Physics.”

Physics Astronomy Masterclass For Year 9

Science

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STEM

There was a high standard of STEM holiday homework handed in at the start of this term.

Students had been able to choose one of four tasks related to the ‘Mars One’ mission, which intends to send a team of people to Mars in 2023; they could either design a space habitat, pack a suitcase to take to Mars, illustrate the ten things you would miss most if you went to Mars, or write a blog of life on Mars.

The best 34 entrants won a place on a visit to the National Space Centre in Leicester, and we headed off for the day on 29 September.

When we arrived, our group was separated into two teams to work on our own ‘Mars Mission’. One of the teams ‘blasted off’ into space on our simulated visit to Mars. Once there, the students had to work in smaller groups on various tasks, collecting data about the planet. Meanwhile, the second team took to the Mission Control Centre, and through effective teamwork and good communication skills, they gathered information from the Mars-based team via radio transmission.

With the mission successfully completed, we then had the chance to visit the Exhibition Hall. Highlights included the rocket tower, the flight simulator ride and the fantastic interactive exhibitions.

Year 8 Mars Mission

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STEM

On Saturday 14 November, a group of 12 Year 10, 11 and 12 students took part in the regional heats of the UK Space Design Competition hosted at the University of Huddersfield.

Competing against four other schools, students were required to design from scratch facilities for a spaceport, enabling expansion of the human economy beyond cis-lunar space.

After establishing roles in the team, students went to briefing sessions related to their area of expertise before feeding back to the group. Led by the President, Aamirah Bham in Year 12, the team then had approximately seven hours to complete their design and prepare a presentation for the judging panel.

It was a long day for the students, starting at 8.00am and finishing at 10.00pm. They showed enormous resilience and, even though the challenge was beyond anything that they had done before, the students did a fantastic job, confidently presenting their design to a panel of judges and a room full of other students.

On the back of this experience - and at the request of the students - we have now started a Space Design Club, where teams of Year 10 to Year 12 students will compete to design a space transportation vehicle for exploring deep space from the International Space Station. As with the regional heats, the teams will then present their designs to a team of judges; it will be excellent preparation for next year’s competition!

The President, Aamirah Bham, said, “It was a very fun and educational day. Not only did we get the chance to practice our research skills, we were also able to improve our presentation and teamwork skills as well.

“Everyone worked very well together, even those of us who had never talked to anyone else in the team before. The work ethic was brilliant - we were still discussing things during our breaks! The team helped each other through the day and gave it their all, despite the fact that they were thrown into a new situation in a new environment with people they may or may not have known very well.”

UK Space Design Competition

Saudah Hafeji is one of our Year 13 A Level Physics students. She applied for a placement through the Nuffield Foundation, which offers opportunities for school and college students to take part in STEM-related research over their Summer holidays.

Through our link with the Nuffield Foundation, we are working to establish further work placement opportunities for some of our current Year 12 students, giving them the chance to gain valuable experience and to contribute to University-level research programmes.

“Over the Summer I was provided with the opportunity to complete a four week research placement at the University of York regarding Spectroheliography. This is directly linked to the Astrophysics

course I hope to study at university and provided an extremely valuable chance to familiarise myself with new concepts and equipment I will be using during my studies.

“Spectroheliography is the process of imaging the sun in a single wavelength of light, such as Hydrogen alpha, in order to produce a monochromatic image of the sun, which allows closer inspection of its features. My research was conducted through the use of an optical telescope and a spectrometer, allowing me to view and image the sun.

“I was able to conduct my work on the ‘Astrocampus’ based at the University of York, a specialised campus for the study of the universe, with an array of radio telescopes and optical telescopes.

“It was an incredibly valuable experience and I developed problem-solving and team working skills throughout as I worked alongside third-year university students and PhD students.”

The Nuffield Foundation

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Students in the Year 12 and 13 STEM Science Enrichment Group have been running a STEM Club for Year 7 students, to give them the chance to carry out extra Science experiments.

Students work in small groups to plan experiments and then present them to students in the lunchtime club. Each Wednesday, our Sixth Form team have the chance to practise and perfect the experiments that they have chosen to run. The students are working as a great team, supporting each other to run the club.

The Year 7 students who have come along to the club have really enjoyed the chance to use the Science equipment - especially the Bunsen burner!

“Working with Year 7 has helped us in many ways. It has helped us to develop many skills, for example organisational skills, time management, communication skills and group management skills.”

“We had to manage a group of Year 7 students and communicate to them the method of an experiment, sometimes with equipment they have never used or seen (besides in movies!).”

“Delivering the session to the Year 7 has helped us to be confident amongst a large group. These skills will be useful in the next stage of our lives.”

STEM Club

On Tuesday 29 September, nine students and Mrs Greenwood attended the Seismology Day at Fulneck School, Pudsey. The aim of the day was for the students to gain a deeper understanding of earthquake waves and their detection.

Seismology Day was very exciting as we carried out lots of practical activities. We were also introduced to some very important scientists from the University of Leeds, who were very experienced and talented and had great knowledge of seismology and volcanoes.

One of them was a professor who taught us some very interesting facts about volcanoes and told us about some experiences he has had working with them. One thing that fascinated me was that the professor told us about a restaurant near a volcano where you can cook sausages and chicken (which taste delicious) using the heat from the volcano. Another scientist told us about his career and how he had to work extremely hard to achieve his goals.

Throughout the rest of the day we carried out many practicals such as measuring the speed of sound. To make it a fair test we had to measure out our materials accurately each time and we used different materials such as plastic, copper and wood. To get the test going

we had to hit the end of the rod with a pen or pencil and calculate the speed that was recorded on the laptop. For the last experiment we were asked to make a seismometer using only a clamp stand, a few nuts, a coil and a magnet. Fortunately, our seismometer measured the waves correctly and the judges were very impressed.

To show we understood all the key facts, we had to produce a poster showing everything we learnt. My team won and we brought back a seismometer worth £300 for the school. We feel that we deserved it owing to all the hard work we put in and the enthusiasm that we showed.

Soha Waheed Year 9

Seismology DaySTEM

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STEM

Earlier this term, all Year 7 and 8 students took part in a careers event, focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

A selection of higher education providers and industry partners delivered engaging and informative sessions over the morning. Universities of Bradford, Huddersfield and Leeds, as well as the Army, Cummins Turbo Technologies and KITS offered a range of activities including a windmill building competition, building and racing a mini buggy, and creating a Jenga wall of effective STEM attributes. Students also had the opportunity to explore the exciting world of Science experiments, and to work as Food Technologists, in additional sessions.

At lunchtime, parents were invited to join their daughters for further discussions. Finally, C&K Careers and Mrs Turton from the school’s Careers Service gave a presentation about career pathways.

The students enjoyed the event, which gave them the chance to consider a small sample of the vast array of careers available with a STEM qualification.

For further information about STEM careers please contact the school’s Careers Service or go to www.futuremorph.org

STEM Careers Event

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STEM

Bloodhound Challenge DayChallenge

The ‘Bloodhound Project’ is a global engineering competition to design a rocket car that can set the 1000mph world land speed record.

The school spin-off of this is the ‘Bloodhound Challenge’, in which students have the chance to design model rocket propelled cars, to inspire them to enjoy and be involved with Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.

Back in the warmth of July, all of Year 8 (now Year 9) took part in the ‘Bloodhound Challenge Day’, led by staff from Cummins Turbo

Technologies. Our students were put into nine large teams, with each member of the team allocated a role based on the tasks needed for the actual ‘Bloodhound Project’; roles included building the model car and chassis, improving the performance of the car, designing the team’s clothing and publicising the team. Students also had to demonstrate good teamworking skills, a creative approach and resilience, all of which are STEM skills.

Towards the end of the day, everyone went out onto the tennis courts and we watched as the rocket cars were blasted off one by one. It was truly impressive to see the students’ hard work pay off and was a fitting end to a very successful and enjoyable day.

For further information about the ‘Bloodhound Project’ go to www.bloodhoundssc.com/project


Recently Year 10 students were given the opportunity to visit Cummins Turbo Technologies.

Cummins Turbo Technologies is a market-leading designer and manufacturer of turbochargers for medium to heavy-duty diesel engines. Cummins Turbo Technologies is the largest independent maker of diesel engines and related products in the world with operations in more than 190 countries and around 54,600 employees.

Not only were we lucky enough to visit the Headquarters, we were also given the chance to listen to some of the members speak about their experiences and their jobs and were given career advice. We were told about different career paths and asked to consider the different opportunities available to us. This was really beneficial as some students are quite interested in the new careers introduced to us.

On leaving we had a much clearer understanding of what the organisation was about and what they did.

Overall, it was a very successful trip and hopefully there are many more trips like this organised in the future.

by Jumaanah Laher

Year 10 Visit to Cummins Turbo Technologies

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STEM

Bloodhound Challenge DayHere are some students’ comments about the day:

“Today was really interesting. I learned a lot of things I didn’t know, and had fun researching new things. I like doing real-life projects like this. I would definitely want to do this again.”

“Today was a very interesting and fun day. We had to build a car per group. I learned that not all STEM careers are boring or difficult. I found how to market products and how to advertise. My favourite part was watching the racing in the afternoon. I would definitely recommend doing this day again.”

“The best part of today was the designing of the car. I also liked it at the end when we voted, and the racing of the cars. I learnt that there is a world record attempt for a car to travel at 1000mph.”

“I enjoyed today a lot. I made new friends through my team, and I found my creative side. I enjoyed launching the cars and the voting. We were Team 2 and we won! So our hard work paid off.”

“I enjoyed working as a team with different people and I had fun making the posters and advertising our product. I learned about what slows cars down, and about velocity.”

“I enjoyed working as a team with new people. I found it lots of fun. I learned about factors that would affect a racing car’s speed. I also found out more about velocity and how to calculate acceleration and deceleration.”

“I enjoyed working with new people and using my creativity. I had a lot of fun. I learned how to cut wood and make a car chassis.”

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A rocket car is blasted off

Team Flame celebrate winning the challenge

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Sixth Form

Batley Girls’ High School Visual Arts CollegeGood News Summer 2015

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Residential Visit

A group of 30 Sixth Form students attended a two day residential visit in Newcastle during October with the aim of learning about life at Newcastle University.

Mr Cooper stated that, “Newcastle University is a great partner to the school; it funded our transport for this visit and ran a series of innovative and informative workshops. It meets our strategic aspirations really well as it is a prestigious institution which is helping our students to broaden their horizons”.

The students had a great time as Maryam Goolab suggests. “It was a fun and exciting experience. I particularly enjoyed the competitive treasure hunt and the opportunity to be independent and get to know the staff and students.”

Humairaah Wazah said, “We went to a lovely old cinema to watch ‘Suffragette’. We loved the film and it gave us an insight into the struggle that women had to go through to gain the vote – when we are able to, we should all use our vote to make a difference”.

Once again, the behaviour of our students was exemplary and Newcastle University has offered to run future residentials and visit the school.

Well done to all involved!

Partnership Residential With Newcastle University Is A Great Success

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Enrichment

As part of their Enrichment Programme last year, some Year 12 students took part in the Progression Module.

Year 13 is now upon them and as always proves to be a difficult year from the start; part of this is due to the application process for university. Whilst most of the Year 13 students are juggling academic studies with UCAS applications, Aisha Barber, Saffiyah Daji, Aaminah Hajat, Haseeba Iqbal, Nafisa Parveen, Zainab Patel and Salma Rehman have already completed this process and have been able to apply before many other students, thanks to their successful completion of a year long course.

To celebrate the students’ hard work and commitment, they were invited to attend a prestigious award ceremony in St. Paul’s Hall at the University of Huddersfield on 4 November 2015, where the new graduates of University of Huddersfield would be collecting their degrees in just a week’s time.

Professor Tim Thornton (Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield) opened the proceedings. Students were then individually called up on stage and each student received a certificate. Saffiyah Daji, Aaminah Hajat, and Zainab Patel received further recognition and were awarded the ‘Outstanding Achievement Award’. The ceremony was followed by a food and drinks reception and plenty of photo opportunities. An enjoyable afternoon was had by all and once again, I would like to congratulate our Progression Module graduates.

M Siddiqui

Progression Module Awards Ceremony

On 11 November 2015, a group of Sixth Form students, accompanied by Ms Green, attended the Alhambra Theatre to watch a musical production of ‘Hairspray’.

We all found the entire experience very rewarding and fun. The casting was brilliant and each person brought a unique element to the performance. The actors and actresses were incredible in their roles – their voices were amazing! The band who accompanied the cast were also extremely talented and they definitely helped to make the production so special.

The highlight of the musical for me was when Edna Turnblad (played by Tony Maudsley) came out of a giant can of hairspray, and sparklers went off for the last song, ‘You Can’t Stop the Beat’. Everyone was on their feet dancing (even Ms Green!), and the atmosphere was so fulfilling and musical.

Watching ‘Hairspray The Musical’ was such an enjoyable outing, and I think I speak for everyone there when I say how fantastic it was, and that we are grateful to have had the chance to go. I encourage everyone reading to go and watch this amazing worthwhile production. Sophie Clark 12DA

Hairspray!

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Economics and Business

A Busy Term Our Sixth Form Student Ambassadors are here to support and be part of all the events at activities through the school.

They are at the forefront when offering hospitality and guiding parents and visitors in school. They also represent us in the community and at the local primary schools. Student Ambassadors have been busy this term with events such as ‘East meets West’, ‘Celebration Evening’ and ‘Parents’ Evening’. Such activities raise students’ confidence and social skills and we therefore encourage students to take part.

We have also now recruited a shadow Student Ambassador Team from Year 11 to help prepare and engage the next generation of our Sixth Form Ambassador Team.

The Coca Cola Enterprises Factory in Wakefield provided an excellent example of a real business in action for Year 12 and 13 Economics and Business students in October.

Their tour of the factory and warehouse gave them an insight into modern techniques and processes. The talk and ‘question and answer’ session provided an opportunity for students to ask about

the business and make connections between the topics they have been studying and the actual practice of running such a large organisation.

Safiyyah Hafiji commented, “It was an eye-opening experience to see how cutting edge technology is used at Coca-Cola Enterprises and the massive level of investment required. The business model is impressive”.

It’s The Real Thing at Coca Cola

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Work Skills

Year 12 L2 Work Skills had an interesting and informative discussion held by Jeremy Townend, one of our Trustees.

As they embark on a fortnight’s work placement the students have been arming themselves with a wealth of work-related information such as rights and responsibilities in the workplace, Health and Safety at Work and Trade Unions.

Who better to deliver this information than our own Jeremy Townend? His background, experience and knowledge in Employment Law, HSE and Trade Unions is invaluable to this Work Skills Unit.

Year 12 L2 Work Skills had a ‘Jeremy Kyle’ style chat show to discuss the pros and cons of corporate wear and uniforms.

Adam Flack kindly took on the mantle of host and a lively discussion was held with views from opposing sides.

Everyone had a character to play with a specific view. Learning objectives were definitely met in this lesson!

Chat Show

Preparing for Work Placements

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Careers Department

Mrs Iffat Ahmad Pathways and Progression Coordinator [email protected] 01924 350091Mrs Karen Turton Careers Administrator and Events Organiser [email protected] 01924 350080 ext 271Ms Julie Tipper C&K Careers Adviser [email protected] 01924 350080 ext 220

School Careers Team

C&K Careers Advisers

Careers Event Calendar 2016

Our Careers Library has now been updated and renamed the Careers Hub.

Students can access our careers information such as university/college prospectus, occupational and training provider information, plus a range of career magazines, books and general information. Karen Turton is available three days a week to source information if required.

All information in the Careers Hub is available on loan or to copy.

Julie Tipper has been seeing Year 11 students over the Autumn term.

This is a great opportunity for students to talk through their ideas after Year 11. An appointment will be sent via their form tutor.

If parents would like to attend this interview in school then please contact Julie Tipper directly by email or telephoning the school.

Careers Hub

● Year 8 Introduction to Careers Information Job Explorer Database Starting 6 November 2015 – 15 January 2016

● Whole School Careers Convention Thursday 21 January 2016 (Parents Invited)

● Year 8 Options Evening Thursday 28 January 2016

● Health & Social Care/Careers Event 1 March 2016, Year 9 & Year 12 Students

● The Big Bang Fair Birmingham NEC 18 March 2016

● National Careers Week 7-11 March 2016

● Heap – Choosing Your Degree Course

● Heap – University Degree Course Offers

● How to complete your UCAS Application

● Score Higher on the UKAT

● C&K Publications Unifacts for Students Unifacts for Parents

Careers Library NewsStudents applying for UCAS, check out the latest books

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Mock Interviews & Work Placement

This year the mock interviews for Year 11 and Year 13 students have been another hugely successful event with the presence of numerous employers such as Cummins Turbo Technologies, Ramsden Solicitors and Textile Training Group.

We also had representatives from services such as the NHS, Civil Service, Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy and members of the school’s

Governing Body. Also this year admission tutors from Higher Education attended, such as Newcastle, Edge Hill, Huddersfield and York Universities and BPP Law University Law School.

The feedback we received was very positive and the interviewers were all impressed with our students, interaction, their quality of CVs and the high standard of their personal statements.

Mock Interviews for Year 11 and Year 13

I was selected to do a week’s work placement in Design Engineering at Cummins Turbo Technologies during the Summer holidays.

My work timing lasted from 8.00am till 4.00pm and I was assigned a team leader and my own work place.

As my work placement was based around Design Engineering, I was taught how to operate a software called CREO Parametric, a tool for 3D CAD that enables users to produce 3D designs and is used in industries and I was taken through various lessons starting from beginner to advanced level.

At the end of the placement, I received very positive feedback from the employer. The week was

extremely useful as it gave first-hand insight of what it is like to be part of a worldwide company, along with the chance to acquire many valuable skills and experiences. Working with the software directly was thrilling. I found my team leader to be supportive and approachable, giving me advice throughout. Likewise, the environment was pleasant, calming and professional.

To conclude, I would like to thank my teachers, especially Mrs Evans and Mrs Ahmad, my team leader Paul Brierley for the support and advice on numerous occasions and Nikita Toulcher (Work Experience Co-ordinator at Cummins) for allowing me to partake. If given the opportunity again, I wouldn’t lose it.

Sayeda Ariba Year 12

Design Engineering at Cummins

Technical diagram and 3D render of a valve housing assembly

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Our new aviary at the farm has been stocked with quail, doves, finches and budgies during the Summer and school holiday periods and it looks like all the birds are settling in well.

A sign of nest building with the doves is a promising sign.

When the fox visited the farm in July and caused mayhem with the loss of many of our TRA members’ birds, it meant that a new flock was needed without delay and we were able to help incubate two types of hen eggs, using our new incubator made available from the local ‘It’s Up To You’ funding activity hosted

by the school. The Boven and Rhode Island Red chicks were hatched and are growing nicely now.

Student attendance looks very promising for the future of both the Farm and Gardening Clubs. Stanley and Ollie, our goats, are equally as interested as well.

Farm News

Farm News Winter 2015

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Farm News

The farm staff continue to work with students to help develop their interests in Animal Welfare and Horticulture and our Year 9 students are currently being introduced to the Animal Welfare course for an apprentice while they attend the Enrichment classes on a Thursday.

The harvest provided us with tomatoes, apples, plums, potatoes and corn. The potato crop grew pretty well in the raised beds and several donations have been made to several local worthy causes as we continue to work with our local and supportive community.

Our students from Year 9, whilst studying French, attended The Ponderosa Rural Therapeutic Centre in Heckmondwike and worked alongside the Service Users to make a variety of jewellery that was made available for purchase during the recent ‘East meets West’ event.

Malcolm Firth Farm Manager

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Wellbeing and community

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Batley Girls’ High School is very proud to announce the purchase of a defibrillator (AED).

We have made some valuable links with Sudden Adult Death Trust (SADs) charity that kindly helped us with the funding for the AED, John Spikings (Yorkshire Ambulance Trust) and the British Heart Foundation to become a ‘heart safe’ school.

As part of the awareness of becoming ‘heart safe’, students from Years 7 through to 10 took part in a British Heart Foundation Call Push Rescue (CPR) day at the end of last term.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a first aid technique that can be used if someone is not breathing properly or if their heart has stopped.

Beth Burke and Alison Rout linked with John Spikings to give each student the opportunity to learn and practise the lifesaving skill of CPR on ‘mini Annie’ dolls completing either full CPR or hands only CPR. It was also very exciting to be working with the Ambulance Service as they are running a national

campaign to teach CPR to as many young people as possible and our students will be counted in the poll.

The day was a huge success which students thoroughly enjoyed, taking away a certificate and wrist band as well as valuable lifesaving skills. Well done to everyone involved.

CPR Day

A ‘Heart Safe’ School

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Parents’ Forum

Earlier this term, members of the Parents’ Forum and their daughters visited our industry partner, Cummins Turbo Technologies, to highlight career routes into Engineering.

The visit included a talk from Jonathan Wood who is the Executive Director for Engineering. Students and their parents were given a guided tour of CTT technical centre and lab operations, as part of our STEM focus to raise aspirations of young women regarding careers in Engineering.

There was a further presentation from Cummins female Engineers Donna Skeldon and Subenuka Sivagnanasundaran who gave a talk on their career pathway. Students and their parents were very inspired by the visit.

Careers Visit to Industry – Cummins Turbo Technologies

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Peter joined the Governing Body over 20 years ago, when his daughter Alison was still a student at this school. He was an active and dedicated Governor during the Headships of Richard Bennett, Deanna Drake and Jackie Eames, chairing the Finance and Staffing Committees and serving as Chair of the Governing Body itself, during which time he mentored his successor Jeremy Townend.

His expertise in finance, staffing and health and safety was highly regarded, not just by our school and the boys’ high school, but also across the Local Education Authority.

In recent years Peter’s support as a Trustee has been invaluable, helping us through the process of our becoming an Academy and this year a Multi Academy Trust.

We all valued his commitment, honesty, directness and deep care for education. Everyone will remember Peter for the fact that he was always there!

A loyal supporter of the school, Peter participated fully in all aspects of our work. He was very strong on practical and procedural matters and was, for example, very ‘hands on’ in researching the bidders for the Sixth Form build, including donning the hard hat and high-vis vest when visiting sites. If Peter had a view about something, he could be relied upon to ‘say it as it is’! His frankness was part of his charm and he was loved and respected for this in equal measure.

He was a familiar face around school, visiting staff and students and speaking to student groups about his experiences as an evacuee in Wales during the war. Most memorably, Peter could be relied upon to attend all events – East meets West, Celebration Evening, Christmas Panto, School Shows and Art exhibitions.

As well as being a keen promoter of education, Peter was himself an avid reader and a great believer in the power of books to change and shape lives and to unlock a young person’s imagination. He was adamant that libraries needed books and should not be dominated by computers. We share this view as we continue to invest heavily in new literature and it seemed completely appropriate to choose the LRC, as the learning heart of the school and where hundreds of young people come each day to study and read, to display a plaque in Peter’s memory.

Earlier this term, friends and colleagues, past and present, gathered in the LRC to join Peter’s family, Carol, Alison, Simon and Izaak, to celebrate his life and his huge contribution to the life of the school.

Flowers were presented to Carol, and Peter’s family were each given a commemorative bookmark. With every book borrowed from the LRC, students will receive an accompanying bookmark on loan, to be used and returned for the next person, so that the memory of Peter will live on with students present and future.

Ann McCall and Julie Haigh

In Memory of Mr Peter Rout - 1928-2015

Remembering our Friend and Colleague

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Open DayOn 3 December, some members of the community group, TAP (Textiles Art Photography) into Art Education, held an open day at Birstall Library.

The purpose of this event was to publicise classes and also to provide free ‘taster’ sessions for members of the public to come along and sample for themselves what the community classes have to offer, with a view to maybe joining a class in the future. Activities were run by other group members and participants could try their hand at silk painting, digital photography and art, with everyone being able to take home an end product.

The event was funded by a small grant from the ‘Do It’ fund and was well attended, with many favourable comments from participants who said they had enjoyed the activities, as well as those who expressed an interest in signing up to one of the community classes.

One participant said:

“Lovely. Thank you to you and all the others; we had a lovely time. Dolcie would have quite happily stayed all day! I know it was aimed at adults, and we’d only popped

into the library to use the computer and the ladies invited us to ‘have a go’. Please pass on our thanks to all involved and if we were not moving on Saturday to Northumberland I would certainly take up a class.” Caroline Burn

It is hoped that the group will repeat the sessions at Batley Art Gallery in February next year to launch their year-long rolling exhibition of work being held in the gallery. The exhibition begins on 6 February 2016 and will showcase Digital Photography in the Art Kiosk, as well as Fine Art and Textile work along the balcony area. The work will be changed every few weeks to allow as many group participants as possible to be included in the show.

TAP is a voluntary organisation based at Batley Girls’ High School. The group is supported and part funded by the school itself, as well as from grants obtained by Kirklees Community

Partnerships, Creative Minds, One Community and the Big Lottery. Its aims are to promote lifelong learning in adults, as well as improving the health and wellbeing of participants through group interaction and participation in arts based activities. The group also aims to tackle depression and social isolation, as well as offering routes to personal development (eg by offering A Level and GCSE qualifications in all subjects), with the further aim of increasing self-esteem and self-confidence in participants.

Community Art

Community Art News

Exam ResultsPictured here are some of this year’s adult A Level students, who attend the many community art classes held in school each week, with their A Level certificates.

This year, as in previous years, the community A Level grades in all subjects – Fine Art, Art Textiles and Digital Photography – were high, with all students obtaining a grade B or higher, at either Advanced or Advanced Subsidiary Level.

Alan Peters and Beatrice Myers June Robinson

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TAP into Art Education

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batley girls’ high school visual arts college good … news summer 2015 batley girls’ high...

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