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JULY, 2016

The magazine keeping students, staff, parents and carers, and the wider community updated on events at Bexhill Academy.

Bexhill BeaconBEXHILL ACADEMY YEAR 7 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME

Bexhill Academy launched its scholarship programme for the first time in May 20�6. This unique scholarship programme provides three potential benefits to those students who are successful in gaining entry to the programme. Firstly, a scholarship is a public acknowledg-ment of a young person’s outstanding ability or talent; thus these awards are prestigious. Sec-ondly, the Attwood Academies Trust will pro-vide a range of unique educational experiences which will extend and develop their talents and abilities throughout their time at the academy. Finally, the scholarship brings some additional, more general benefits:-

I. Automated access to our student leadership programmeII. Automatic selection to represent the school as ambassadorsIII. Automatic inclusion in our master class programme with Sussex and Brighton universities IV. A free pack of uniformV. A free place on our Year 7 camp.

Academic scholarships were available to those students who had demonstrated their ability across all academic subjects. Students achieving these fell into the top 10% of students nationally as measured by their Key Stage 2 test scores. In addition, a number of specialist scholarships were offered in Art, Sport, Music and Drama.

The response to our scholarship programme was overwhelming with over 50 applications in total. Students meeting the criteria set out in our “Scholarship Programme” booklet were invited to interview before the final scholars were chosen.

The following students were successful in achieving a full scholarship

ACADEMICDavid Cooke - Esme Forsyth - Lily O’Brien

Edward Oliver - Amy Shackleton Charlie Southgate - Jack Floyd - Hannah Mitchell

Elena Barry

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Bexhill Pupils Get Political!Huw Merriman, MP for Bexhill and Rother, visited Bexhill Academy on 23rd June to talk to students about the EU referendum.

As an undeclared candidate, Huw Merriman has been at-tending debates through-out his constituency over the past few weeks to share information and encourage debate. Students from Years 7-9 had the opportunity to listen to Huw Merriman and participate in a question and answer session, followed by their own referendum.

The topics brought up by the students were immigra-tion, the economy and what it would mean for them, and also the possibility of the outcome affecting jobs in the future.

The outcome of the students vote was as follows :

REMAIN IN EU : 43% OF VOTES • LEAVE THE EU : 54% OF VOTES • BLANK/SPOILT VOTES : 3%

ARTKordelia Meszaros - Poppy Baker - Millie Piper

DRAMABo Louise Reed - Jazmin Kemp - Mya Kwong

MUSICKatelin Sayers - Kirsty Sullivan - Salma Salkind

Jamelia Amir SPORTS

Hope Sankey - Charles Francis - Alex Markham Logan Copley - India Rowe

Courtney Goodfellow

In recognition of the quality of the applications and the enthusiasm of the students we also awarded a number of partial scholarships. These students will join our scholars as SCHOOL AMBASSADORS.

Aimee Matthews - Ben Hart - - Ben Hodgson Christopher Nicol - Codruta CasapuDemi Tuffee - D’Shaun Allen-Reid

Ellie Honeysett Miller - Emily Izzard YappEvelyn Robertson - Ionut Radoi - Jack Lissamore

Jordan Apps - Kanya Banks - Kitty Morphett Laura Laszczyk - Lucas Heynes - Rowan Crouch Ruby Russell - Ryan Hedges - Ryan McMahon Sebastian Morriss - Sophie Bayliss - Tyler Hunt

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The Mayor of Bexhill, Si-mon Elford, joined the guest speaker, Baron-ess Stedman Scott, at an event presented by The Principal, Heidi Brown, Tom Attwood, The Chair of Bexhill Academy’s spon-sor (The Attwood Acad-emies Trust), applauded the work of both external contractors and Academy staff who had contributed in delivering a project on time and with budget.

Jon Sale, Business Director, likened the project to ‘Mission Impossible’, as full design and contract plans had to be put in place prior to being advised if any funding would be provided, in order to meet the desired 2016 completion date.

The new additions to the Academy in-clude nine separate science laborato-ries, two new food technology rooms, four dedicated IT suites and a brand new library. The original ‘pods’, designed to

accommodate 90 students, have each been converted into three individual classrooms.

The DfE had recognised the design flaws made in the original build, and were keen to support the changes made which now provide a suitable learning environment for students and staff.

Bexhill Academy hopes that future edu-cational designers will do their research inside real schools with staff and stu-dents before designing a new building.

Una Whiteman (pictured centre), a lo-cal resident, also attended as a guest of honour. After hearing about the planned library, Una donated £6,000 towards new furniture and books.

Both staff and pupils are enjoying the new design and improved facilities and look forward to building on the signifi-cant progress and achievement already made within the Academy.

Bexhill Academy £6 million RefurbishmentBexhill Academy unveiled their much improved building on Monday 4th July, after completing £6 million worth of improvements in less than a year.

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Guests included Baroness Helen Newlove, the Victims’ Commissioner, who spoke at the event about the importance of overcoming difficulties and adversity, reflecting on her and her children’s situation in 2007, when her husband was murdered.In her emotional and motivating speech she described how her own daughters struggled, following the tragic event, and stressed to the students that no matter what problems arise, it is possible to succeed.

Tom Attwood, Chairman of Attwood Academies Trust who sponsors the school, also addressed the audience and spoke about the progress the school as a whole had made over the last 12 months, in addition to congratulating the students on their hard work throughout the year. “ I am so very proud of how far the school has come over the last 12 months and of how hard these students have worked to achieve their successes.”As well as prize giving and speeches, there were several performances throughout the evening, from a contemporary dance piece, to a lively Coldplay cover including singers and musicians, as well as a scene from the Academy’s up coming show ‘Little Shop of Horrors’.

Bexhill Academy’s...

Speech Day andGraduation CeremonyParents, students, teachers and special guests all gathered together at the De La Warr Pavilion on Thursday 30th June to celebrate the achievements of Bexhill Academy students.

The pavilion was packed with tickets selling out; everyone eager to join in with the celebrations.The awards given out on the night included progress and achievements in every subject taught at the school for every year group, with over 100 students receiving an individual award.As well as celebrating the achievements from the whole school, the event also provided the opportunity for the graduation ceremony for Year 8 students who will progress to Year 9 in September.Bexhill Academy decided to introduce the graduation as they were conscious of the need to ensure that all students understand the importance of engaging with their learning. The transition to Year 9 is very important as the students begin their GCSE courses, where hard work, determination and resilience will be key factors in their success.

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Above: Students perform a lively rendition of Coldplay’s ‘Adventure of a Lifetime’ for the audience. Below: Tom Attwood and Principal Heidi Brown congratulate the Year 8 graduates. Left top page: Baroness Helen Newlove addresses the crowd. Left bottom page: Tom Attwood, director of Attwood Academies, reflects on the students achievements.

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And in Other News...

Final Farewell for ‘Be The Change’ project

Bexhill students celebrat-ed the end of a ‘fantastic’ scheme designed to boost their confidence and aspi-rations with a ‘graduation’ ceremony.

Year 9 pupils from Bexhill Acad-emy came together to complete the ‘Be the Change’ programme with Bexhill mayor Simon Elford handing out certificates. The 120 students celebrated their journey with the 30 business volunteers from Hastings Direct, course leaders from Humanutopia and LoveLocalJobs.com, and teachers who have supported them.Speaking to the audience, a stu-dent said: “Be the Change has helped me be more confident in my learning. “It’s also helped my life at home – I used to be rude to my mum but now I feel more in control, I’ve gained more strength and more respect and feel proud of what I’ve achieved.”Over the last four months, the

students have been taking part in a series of activities designed to improve behaviour and to intro-duce them to job and career op-portunities. The businessmen and women have been working with the students on an individual and group-basis as well a number of showpiece events with the or-ganisers.Councillor Elford said it was ‘amazing’ to meet the students and wished he was given the same opportunities when he was at school.“I found it a struggle when I left school but I found inner confi-dence and became proud of my-self,” he said. “I wish I had this type of programme to help guide my decisions when I was 13 years old. “I wish all the students the best of luck in the future.”Bexhill Academy Assistant Prin-cipal Trudy Hillman said: “Be the Change has been a fantastic pro-gramme for our Year 9 students. “As well as developing their own

confidence, self-esteem and re-silience, the students have had to face new experiences that pre-pare them for the world of em-ployment.”Hastings Direct’s events executive Jay Wootten added: “The Be the Change graduation was another really positive event to be part of; to hear the plans of the students for the future was very humbling and refreshing. It is clear that the ‘Be the Change’ programme has made a big difference to all in-volved - which is great to see.”Rosanna Farrar from Lovelocal-job.com said: “We have been overwhelmed by the success of the ‘Be the Change’ programme at Bexhill Academy. It was incred-ible to see the positive changes made and the difference in so many of the students. Hastings Direct should be so proud of the impact they have had on so many young people.”

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Annette and Sue from the catering team.Each year Compass challenge us to raise £100 per unit and this year as in previous years, I set up a donation station.Thank you so much for your wonderful donations, we managed to get 27 bags, which Cancer research say, could raise £30.00 per bag, total = £810!!Also Sue and I took part in our 11th year of “Race for Life “, despite the rain, we have raised £245.00.

Bexhill Academy opened its doors to Year 5 pupils from local primary schools in order to give them a taste of secondary school life.

Children from St Peter and St Paul Church of England Primary School, Glenleigh Park Primary Academy, St

Mary Magdelene Catholic School, Chantry Community Primary School, All Saints Church of England, Pebsham Primary, Little Common and King Offa, all took part in the programme and every school that took part has said they would want to come back to the academy next year.

The students participated in subjects such as Maths, English and P.E. The pupils really enjoyed their time at the school, with the feedback being: “It was really enjoyable.”“We got to do new things, like use a javelin!”“The teachers were very kind.”

Bexhill Academy’s Under �5s girls rugby team, who represented the county of Sussex, came 3rd overall in a tournament involving teams from five counties.

The Orpington tournament was held on 21st April and involved the girls competing against the top two school teams from Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Essex, and Inner London Boroughs. Bexhill featured in pool A with Essex, Kent and London representatives.A slow start meant a sluggish first performance losing to St Cleres by 1 try. Following this, the Bexhill girls rallied to play the best rugby of the tournament beating, Tonbridge and drawing with Haberdashers.Bexhill finished 2nd in their group with 1 draw, 1 loss and 1 victory, scoring 10 tries and conceding 6. They then played for the overall 3rd place playoff against the pool B 2nd placed team, the Surrey champions.Bexhill played great rugby against a physical

and large empowering side beating them convincingly, 45-15 achieving a magnificent 3rd overall from 5 counties, and narrowly missing out on the top spot to the current national champions and Essex champions.The team’s coach, Ben Eldridge said: “I’m really proud of the girls to get this far. To play against excellent teams and hold their own really is a huge achievement.”

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Bexhill Academy’s Production of ...

After months of planning and rehearsing Bexhill Academy students put on a daring and thrilling show of ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ in the last term of the year..

The show ran for three nights, with over 30 students ranging from year 7 – 11 acting in the show, and many more helping with the production and musical side.

Director Rachel Leadley said: It has been a long, challenging four months from start to finish, however it has been wonderful to work with so many enthusiastic faces from all years who have given their everything to the show. “We did face challenges throughout the production process - namely how to show the deadly plant growing, but the students did fantastically. Their hard work, dedication and enthusiasm has contributed to the success of the final show and has demonstrated what we are capable of.”

‘Little Shop of Horrors’ is a horror comedy rock musical, and tells the story about a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood and flesh.

As well as creative costumes and set designs, the show also had a giant animatronic

Venus fly trap plant on stage, and during the build-up to the show, students at Bexhill Academy were given the chance to guess who had been “eaten” by the plant.

Bruce Sibley, an audience member, said after watching the show: “I was visiting friends who took me along, and was bowled over by the cast’s commitment to a very complex show. Carefully directed and with a great band, it highlighted for me the importance of Arts in education. After nearly 30 years of working with young people I can be hard to impress! So congratulations to everyone involved!”

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Congratulations to the year 9 students who have successfully completed the ‘Be the Change’ programme. Specifically to those who shared with the room the impact they felt the programme had on them.

It is only fair to recognise the individual success of Emma Ralley who this week was announced as Head girl for the whole school. Emma has succeeded through several stages including most recently advertising her campaign to the whole school through the house assemblies. For the second year running Harvard have a representative at Head Boy/Girl

In my personal opinion the year 7camp was amazing, the activities were fun and I believe many students conquered their fears and learned how to work as a team. At camp we worked in small and large groups, we were well fed, slept well, made friends and had access to good hygiene. The activities were in an organised manner and every single

one was brilliant. Activitiesincluded: kayaking, log walking, rock scrambling, abseiling, problem solving, orienteering and many more. At the end of a long day we had time to cool down with hot chocolate and marshmallows. There was free time and the food was great and plentiful. We had the choice of who goes in our tent and we were all in

the same groups as the people in our tents good friends. In conclusion, I believe the year seven camp is definitely ideal for anyone who wants to make friends, have fun and generally have a good time.

Charlie Mayhew

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This term has been another

exciting one for Imperial

house. After an extensive

application process, Imperial

has its newly recruited

members of the student

leader team selected. Our

new transition ambassadors

include Leah Barrett and

Georgia Beckham. Our new

Sports captains are Alistair

Kent and Sammie Prince.

The new House ambassadors

are Neve Carter and Belinda

Innalls-Davie with our School

ambassadors consisting of

Kirsten Gilbert and Annie

Turner. Our newly appointed

Deputy head girl is Rebekah

Blake and Deputy head boy

being Edgar Lowe. A massive

congratulations goes to

Molly Dennis of I9 and Ajay

Morphett of I8 for becoming

our new house Head girl and

Boy. Molly, Ajay, Rebekah

and Edgar will now go up

for the position of overall

school Head boy and Girl

against the winners from the

other houses. Well done to

all pupils that applied and a

massive congratulations to

all the successful applicants.

A huge congratulations goes

to our newly appointed

form representatives. Each

member was selected by

their form group.

We have had many individual and team achievements this term in Imperial house, but one out-

standing achievement goes to a our newly appointed Head Boy. We reported before about his

achievements in the sport of Bowls, but now Ajay Morphett has gone one better. After being

offered trials to be a part of the England team, he got offered a place in the team. A huge well

done to Ajay and for all his hard work. Everyone in Imperial house is very proud of him.

As a House we have performed extremely well again in the attendance competition, leading

the other houses with a 95% attendance which is bang on target. As well as this we are again

leading in the race for the most amount of carrot rewards. Well done to everyone for your hard

work, lets keep this up for the last term of the school year.

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1. Olive Scantlebury 6202. Nyree Lyndley 5363. Sam Rimmer 5304. Allie Thomas 5155. Cashmeira Jones 4666. Charlotte Mackay Pooley 4557. Ryan Miller 3668. Mason Clarke 3609. Gemma Anderson 32010. Emily Stevens 255

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The student leader team guided by the Head Boy and Head Girl decided to run a ‘Great Bexhill Bake-Off’ in order to raise money for Sport Relief. This event will culminate in one student being crowned the ’Great Bexhill Baker’. On Friday 18th March the first stage of the inter house bake

off is taking place. Up to two students will represent each form group. Their cakes will be sold at lunchtime and all money raised will go to sport relief. The heads of house will then decide on one house champion who will be put forward to represent each house in the grand final.

The grand final will take place on Thursday 24th March, Mrs Brown will judge the cakes and decide on an overall winner. House points will be awarded for the winner of the competition and to the house that raises the most money.

Student voiceThis term each house has created a student council that will allow for the opportunity for all students to have their own input into some key aspects of school life.One member from each tutor group was chosen to be a form representative. Their job is to take forward opinions that the members of their forms have. The

representatives meet once a month to discuss what ideas have been expressed in form time. They will also discuss problems that have arisen, and come together to try and think of solutions. The Head Boy and Girl from each house will then meet to bring together all the discussions from across the five houses . It is then the job of the school Head Boy and Girl to have a meeting with Mrs Brown so

she can hear an accurate reflection of the overall student voice.Yale student council; Rhainnon Basher, Catrin Deacon, Josh Batkin, Kallie Besbeech, Sophie valentine, Connor Willard, Martha Sankey, Megan Stilwell,, Elle May-West andHarvey Carey.

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