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Tel: 0161 370 1488 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.fairfieldhigh.tameside.sch.uk

Headlines

Tempus fugit means times flies in Latin, and time really does fly in school. As the Newsletter shows, the last half-term in school has been packed with opportunities for the girls to engage with, both in and out of class. As well as the usual day by day focus on academic attainment we have in school, many girls have been testing themselves through our revised internal examination programme, and considering what they have learnt on a number of different levels. Year 11 recently had an excellent ‘mock results’ assembly where they experienced what it would be like to receive their exam results in the summer. A pupil from the class of 2016 came back to

school to share how she made the most of the time she had left this time last year and everyone was given the opportunity to reflect, recognise their successes and set improvement targets for the summer. By then there

will be no more time for dress rehearsals for the class of 2017. Other Year groups have exams just around the corner. The right type of preparation makes such a huge difference to what we can achieve. Fairfield has also been getting in the festive spirit. Amongst other things, we have had the magnificent performance of the School Production, ‘Elf’; our Winter Market for charitable causes; a Christmas Jumper themed non-uniform day for the charity ‘When you Wish upon a Star’; Christmas lunch in the canteen; the Christmas Party and Pantomime for Year 7; a performance of a Christmas Carol in the Moravian Church for Year 10; the Food Technology trip to Fairview; a Christmas tea party, with Christmas Carols for some of the residents from Daisy Nook Care Home, as well as our traditional Carol Service on the last day of term. This is in addition to all the other enrichment opportunities we provide. In school, academic success and personal development strongly complement each other and we often find that the girls that do best with us are those that engage with the full range of opportunities we offer. For that I, and we, all have our highly committed and skilled staff to thank for everything they give to Fairfield. They really do go above and beyond what is offered in other schools to ensure that girls succeed here.

On behalf of the staff and governors, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a very merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. I look forward to seeing everyone back in January, ready and refreshed to embrace a fresh set of opportunities in 2017. Mr Hesketh Head Teacher

Autumn 2 Newsletter 2016

Head Girl Team News

In our first term as the Head Girl Team, we have definitely been keeping busy. Through weekly meetings we have been able to organise several Information Evenings and work more closely with Prefects and Lead Prefects in order to keep lunchtimes organised and ensure younger pupils are happy. Some of our tasks have included helping out at our school's Christmas production of ‘Elf The Musical’, organising the Year 7 Christmas Party and generally helping around school.

Helping out at the last year’s Year 11s GCSE Certificate Evening added to our excitement, as did starting to get our end of year Prom organised! We can't wait to see what else being a member of the Head Girl Team brings and we hope that if anybody has any issues that they know they can bring them to us so we can help to sort it out. We hope everybody has a wonderful break, and we wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Megan Jackson 11A, Deputy

Head Girl

Year 9 World War One Competition

During the first-half of 2016, 9G3 worked together to research a World War One soldier, Alfred Ball, and produce a project as part of a competition. This was open to schools across the North West who were invited to design their own exhibition boards to tell the life stories of a selection of WW1 veterans buried in Philip’s Park Cemetery. The girls used their independent learning skills by looking at a range of websites to try and find as much as they could about the soldier, they developed their knowledge and

understanding of World War One and trench warfare and discussed their creative ideas to put the exhibition board together in an eye catching and informative way. The work is currently being displayed at Manchester Central Library until 31st December 2016. A big thank you to Miss Ridehalgh and all the girls in 9G3 for working so hard and winning a runners up prize. Mrs Rasul

Subject Co-ordinator, History


One of our main Modern Languages’ subscription websites, www.vocabexpress.com, ran a ‘League of Champions 2016’ competition from 28th September to 4th October. Schools from across the country and abroad took part in a bid to memorise as much vocabulary as possible and win points. We are delighted to announce that Fairfield came in overall 12th place with a total of 142,630 points! The top 25 ‘Geniuses’ (top scorers) in French and German will receive Vivos and certificates. In German, the top 3 ‘Genuises’ were Shannon Taylor (10F), Manpreet Bahtra (8F) and Dhavinia Chauhan (10E) and in French, the top 3 were Tanya Whittingham (9F), Holly Te (9A) and Caitlin Worthington (8B). Well done to all the girls who participated! Remember that you

can log into the site and practise your vocabulary anywhere with online access! Happy surfing! Mr Devine Director of Study for Modern Languages

News From Modern Foreign Language Faculty Spooked!

Community Support For The St Albans Project

For the past two years, Fairfield has supported a local charity called The St Albans Project, a volunteer-run centre that provides hot meals, washing facilities and food parcels for the homeless or anyone in the community

who find themselves in need. Jeff, one of the volunteers at The St Albans Project, came into school on Friday 25th November to talk to a Year 9 class who had all contributed to the appeal. Jeff spoke to them about how he came to work for the project and how our contributions will help. Pupils had a chance to ask questions and then helped deliver the 16 bags of groceries we had collected so far to Jeff’s car.

A huge thank you to all the pupils who brought something into school. This can be signed off as a Citizenship or Participation Pledge on page 80 of your Fairfax.

It isn’t too late to contribute. If you would like to support St Albans then please send into school any tins of food (ring pull if possible), jars of coffee, tea bags, sugar, pasta, rice, sauces, shower gel, wet wipes, toothpaste and tooth brushes. Please bring them down to G37b where I will store them and contact Jeff to come and collect in due course.

Mrs Harvey-Kuczaj

On Tuesday 4th October, pupils from Year 7 and Year 8 were invited to a special Creative Writing workshop run by Steve Delaney, author and teacher. The workshop was about “The Spooks”, a series of award winning books written by Joseph Delaney. The workshop helped us develop our writing skills such as vocabulary choice, sentence structure and making our writing vivid and imaginative. We were all very engaged with Steve as he made an appearance in character as a Spook, with a cloak, chains and even a wooden staff. Steve started off by telling us the about background of his Spook character and explaining the activities they do, such as witch hunting. He then moved on to tell us about how his character was on a search to find an apprentice. Once the apprentice was found, we had to finish the story individually. If we won, we received a signed copy of one of ‘The Spooks’ novels.

All the competitors handed in their story and everyone who had taken part had the chance to meet Joseph and Steve Delaney in a private session before they spoke to the rest of the school. We all had the opportunity to ask them about the next Spooks book and other questions about their backgrounds. It was a great opportunity that has inspired us all to improve our writing and read more!

Charley Richards 8C Below is a winning entry from the above competition:

The Spook’s Apprentice The large dusty clock struck midnight. It was finally time for me to face my destiny. Carefully, I dragged my body up from the icy floor where I had been seated for the past few hours. My feet reluctantly dragged forward. “Why me?” I repeated over and over again to myself. Thousands and millions of thoughts rushed through my brain at speeds I can’t describe. At this point I knew this was the end. I tried as hard as I could to go forward but it felt like someone or something was holding me back. Warning me not to go forward, like chains dragging my feet. The room was dark. The only light was that which was given

from my flickering candle. Anything could be lurking in the shadows. I briskly glanced across to the wall where the door lay. A towering bulky arch shape greeted me; it was untouched. No scratch. No scrape. Now I was closer I could see its true size. Reaching out for the handle my hand was shaking but not quite as much as before. As I nervously grabbed the handle, I heard another noise. This time louder and more violent. The handle felt frozen as if it wanted to creep me out. Pulling the handle with all my strength I could have moved the moon but nothing was happening. It didn’t budge. The room became more silent than before like death

was coming. I felt a breeze on my face. Stepping backwards I fell on the dusty floor and the noise echoed...

Bobbi Stanner 8C

http://www.vocabexpress.com


On Thursday 17th November after school, Miss Lealman’s classroom was packed to the rafters! Why? Year 7 and Year 9 pupils had been invited to attend their first ever Teachmeet. This involved meeting together after school to share experiences of learning at Fairfield and encourage outstanding practice. The focus areas for this first event were: Effective use of the Fairfax / Home Learning / Time Management; however the girls could equally discuss other things relating to high quality learning at school. There was a great deal of productive noise in the classroom and the atmosphere was friendly and informal……and the raffle was fun too! Here’s what a few of our girls have said about it:

Amelia Knight 9G: “I think that the Teachmeet went well and I enjoyed it because it gave me a chance to speak to new people. I was able to share my knowledge on how to make sure you have the correct equipment for each lesson.” Chloe Clinton 9D: “I enjoyed talking to new people and sharing my knowledge of the Curriculum Challenge and about what we liked about the new Fairfax. We also shared our thoughts on our favourite subjects.” Macy Singleton 7F: “I enjoyed the Teachmeet and liked how the Year 9s moved around so you got to talk to lots of different people about learning. I shared my knowledge too about highlighting Home Learning once it’s completed so that you don’t get mixed up.” Haleema Malik 7B: “The Teachmeet was great fun because we got to meet Year 9s and talk about the things we’ve done so far in Year 7. I learnt another way I could organise my Fairfax and complete Home Learning from other pupils. I shared my favourite subjects, how much I like school and we discussed the Curriculum Challenge for this term.” Bailey Patel 7D: “I enjoyed it because you got the chance to ask older pupils about Fairfield and about staying organised too. It gives people a chance to get to know one another.” Thanks to everyone who contributed and we look forward to lots of interesting conversations at the next one which will take place on Thursday 9th February 2017. Mrs Moore

Teachmeet Plan International Sponsored Children

This year, as part of our Pledges and SMSC curriculum, each Year 8 Form are sponsoring a girl of their age. The Forms are fundraising throughout the year to raise the sponsorship money themselves, starting with the Winter Markets in December. Sponsorship will provide these girls access to education and help keep them safe from the various threats that they face in their lives, which are so different from ours. Some Forms have received and written letters already. Others have been looking at the information of where and how their sponsored girl lives to better understand their situation. These are our girls:

Jumah Quaye (left) from Liberia whose nearest source of water is a well, 30 minutes away from her home

Lucy Peter (right) from

Kenya whose nearest water is a spring, 2 hours away from her home. It takes her 45 minutes to get to and from school each day

Ho Thi Luc (left) from Vietnam whose family have no toilet facilities in their house which is made of asbestos. Mitch-Sheena Griego

(right) from the Philippines lives with her Gran after her mum died and her dad left.

Katerine (left) from the Dominican Republic who also lives with her Gran and two sisters after her parents moved away

Nataly-Esmerelda Gutierrez (right) from Bolivia whose family cook their meals on a wood fire

Atikatou Massourou from Niger where 20% fewer girls go to school than boys. Only 72% had access to education in 2013. We are proud to be helping each of these

girls to have education and choices and feel very lucky that we have everything we do, especially at this time of year.

Ms Walkden Progress Co-ordinator, Year 8


Get GCSE Ready In English: Make The Christmas Holidays Count!

EXAMS for Y10 and Y11: Week Beginning 16th January 2017 Year 10: Poetry Exam

One comparison essay on two poems from the love and relationships poetry cluster.

One essay on an unseen poem

One shorter comparison on two unseen poems

Year 10, Mrs Plant and Miss Dooley’s Classes: A Christmas Carol:

One essay on an extract from a Christmas Carol which also shows an understanding of the whole text.

An Inspector Calls:

One essay on a character or theme from the play. Two choices are offered. Only answer one question.

Poetry Exam




Year 11: An Inspector Calls:

One essay on a character or theme from the play. Two choices are offered. Only answer one question.

Poetry Exam




How can I prepare? It is advisable that you purchase a revision file to keep your materials organised. If you require any resources to aid your revision, please ask your English teacher.

1. Re-read the texts that will be on your exam (An Inspector Calls, A Christmas Carol or the anthology poetry, annotating and highlighting as you read).

2. Complete revision sheets on each character and theme of your set text and on each poem from your anthology. 3. Create revision cards, mind maps, theme and character hexagons or notes pages for each of the texts - use your York Notes

study guides to help you. You can download templates for all of these from the Gateway. Ask for help from your teacher if you can’t find these things.

4. Complete exam style questions in preparation for the exam. 5. Find poems you haven’t read before online and have a go at analysing them. Annotate the poem and try writing up an answer. 6. Learn at least five key quotes per character and theme for each text which will be on your exam. 7. Visit the brand new BBC Bitesize site for Literature: http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/subjects/zr9d7ty 8. Watch Mr Bruff’s YouTube Channel: use the links below to connect to many video clips on the following texts: An Inspector Calls: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpCDfwuTjvo

Love and relationships poetry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fPoOED8wuE&list=PLqGFsWf-P-cCXUGVdlZbMcTEOTO5H7Xho Mrs Plant Director of Study, English

BBC Filming Takes Place At Fairfield

The Computer Science Faculty has been working hard to ensure that all girls become involved in learning to code and we were lucky enough to again have the BBC visit to record pupils programming the BBC Micro Bit. Last year, all Year 7 pupils completed a unit of work and learnt how to program a Micro Bit. The girls all got to take a Micro Bit home to continue to program. If you would like to take a look at the film it is on the Micro Bit site: http://microbit.org/education/

All girls have also completed an hour of code this week. If you would like to encourage your daughter to code please visit: https://hourofcode.com/uk/learn Mrs Rowland Director of Study, ICT/Computer Science

Above: Mrs Rowland taking part in the filming

http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/subjects/zr9d7ty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpCDfwuTjvo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fPoOED8wuE&list=PLqGFsWf-P-cCXUGVdlZbMcTEOTO5H7Xho

http://microbit.org/education/

https://hourofcode.com/uk/learn


Literacy Puzzle

Snow is falling!

How many times can you find the word ‘snowflake’ in the puzzle below?

It could be backwards, forwards, up, down or diagonal.

The answers are on page 17


Meet The Team

Mr Devine Director of Study for Modern Languages My passion for French began in Year 9 and this spurred me on to do a degree in Languages (main French and main German), Politics and History. During my undergraduate studies, I enjoyed a superb year abroad: I taught English conversation classes at l’Université de Technologie de Compiègne in France and I studied ‘German for Foreign Students’ at the Universität Potsdam in Germany. Following graduation, I initially embarked on a career in commerce. I worked at a sales agency in Manchester

(owned by a French-Canadian company) for two years and made daily phone calls to France, Germany and Sweden. Moreover, I spent six years working as a Product Manager for a tour operator in south Manchester. This job entailed travelling across Europe, inspecting hotels and negotiating the contracts to feature them in brochures. Highlights included staying in luxurious hotels, travelling to so many amazing destinations and making lots of friends. A pre-requisite for both jobs was the ability to offer language skills. I had always been drawn to becoming a teacher of languages from my late teens. After almost 10 years of working, I bit the proverbial bullet and retrained to teach so that I could share my passion for languages, travel and other cultures with young people. I joined Fairfield High School for Girls in 2004 and I’ve never looked back – it’s truly a wonderful place to teach! The globalisation of businesses continues unabated and I feel very privileged to help Fairfield girls develop their language skills which I hope will enable them to pursue their dream career in the future, whether at home or abroad!

Miss Derrett 2nd in the Modern Language Faculty At school I had an amazing German teacher, Mrs Barber, who inspired me with her passion for language learning and made me understand the importance of speaking another language. I have just started my second year at Fairfield as 2nd in Modern Languages, I previously taught at St Thomas More in Denton. I love EVERYTHING about languages, travel and other cultures.

I did my degree in French, German and journalism and then completed my PGCE, both at Newcastle University, I loved every minute of it. As part of my degree I was lucky enough to spend a full year working abroad. I spent six months near to Frankfurt in Germany teaching English in a secondary school and then moved to Valence in the south of France where I worked as a journalist for the newspaper ‘Le Dauphiné Libéré.’ Both were amazing and very rewarding experiences. Outside of school, I have a passion for musical theatre, cake, tea and shopping. I love the variety and challenge teaching offers and enjoy working with such a talented bunch of girls and staff every day.

Mrs Bateman Deputy Headteacher As well as being the Deputy Headteacher, I am also a Modern Language teacher. Academic excellence is important; it opens the mind and doors to college, university and future employment. What is equally important is the need for pupils to feel confident, positive and prepared for their future lives. I love teaching my subject and I’m sure I always will! I’m enjoying the challenge of teaching the new GCSE, especially translation. Having a language skill is invaluable in modern Britain and I encourage all pupils to see the

importance of multilingualism. I have taught lots of young people over the years and it gives me real pleasure when a previous pupil contacts me and tells me how well they are doing, especially if they are studying French at college. I have been teaching for 27 years and Fairfield is my fourth school. I arrived at Fairfield with Mr Hesketh in September 2013 and it is a privilege to be at teacher at this school. Every day is different and I work with a wonderful team of people.

Mrs Flattery I had always enjoyed languages at school, especially as I had been lucky enough to go on holiday to France a few times as a child with my family. I studied French from Year 7 and was offered to chance to do German in Year 9. I knew by Year 11 that I wanted to study languages at A Level.

Continued overleaf

Spotlight On The Modern Languages Faculty


Mrs Flattery cont; After college, I went to University to study Languages for Business, where I spent six months working abroad for a German company. This was an excellent experience, as it improved my German and living in a different country was very rewarding. In addition, as a student I had long summer holidays, and went to work in Paris, as a receptionist, and to Switzerland to work at a hotel. I really enjoyed travelling. After completing my degree, I started to work as a travel representative in Austria. This involved looking after guests in ski resorts and sightseeing in the summer. I remember organising tobogganing trips with guests, and torch light walks. I also helped with ski guiding during the day. This was highly enjoyable. After a few years, I decided to train to be a language teacher at Manchester Metropolitan University. When I started my first job, I missed the Austrian Alps, but working as a teacher is highly addictive and every day is different. Languages changed my life, so think about what opportunities they could bring to you!

Mrs Goldthorp I developed a love of languages as a pupil at Fairfield myself, back in 1985! My French teacher was such an inspirational teacher and he made me want to pursue languages after I left school. I continued to study French and German at Sixth Form and visited both countries and discovered that I also loved to travel and experience different cultures. At University, I also studied Russian and as an adult learner I gained my first ever A* in Spanish! I love teaching and hope to inspire the girls I teach to love languages in the same way I was inspired by my teacher nearly 30 years ago!

I have been teaching at Fairfield now for nearly 16 years and I really enjoy working, both with the fabulous girls we have here and also with some fantastic friends and colleagues.

Mrs Moore Dare I say it, but I have been teaching Modern Languages now for 20 years! After gaining valuable experience in a number of different schools, I moved to Fairfield in January 2003 and I worked as Head of Faculty here for seven years before returning to work part-time following the birth of my second child. I have lived in Angers, France and in Osnabrück, Germany and I absolutely love travelling, using my language skills for real purpose and leading school trips abroad to allow the girls to do the same. I have a Joint Honours Degree in French and German and despite the girls constantly asking which language I prefer, I can honestly say that since

starting to learn French and German at the age of 11, I have never had a preference. I appreciate them both for different reasons and value the many transferable skills that learning languages brings with it. I always strive to encourage this love of languages in my classroom and develop good working relationships with the girls so that they feel confident in taking risks and know that making mistakes are part of the learning process. As well as teaching French and German, I am currently also a member of the Learning and Teaching Team with specific responsibility for the Able pupils across the school. Outside of Fairfield, as well as looking after my three boys, I am an avid Manchester City supporter and attend every home game with my family and friends.

Mrs Walkden I have been teaching at Fairfield for 10 years. My degree is in Modern Languages with Literature and the Literature part of that was centred around film and film studies, both French and Spanish. I lived in Grenoble in France and Castellón in Spain for my studies and still love to travel as much as I can. Teaching at Fairfield gives me the chance to pass on my passion for languages and culture and I hope I show the girls I teach just how wide the world is and how it is opened to them by being able to communicate in a different language. Equally, I hope that by sharing my experiences of how languages have helped me in work and other

situations right here at home I can inspire the girls to keep trying and keep learning to open doors for their own experiences in the future. I often travel on our educational visits and I feel this is such an important part of what we do. It is brilliant to be able to see the girls exploring new cultures and trying their language skills in context. Fairfield offers so much more than just a classroom education and I am proud and humbled to be part of such a wonderful tradition of excellence and ambition for the young women that come here.

Continued overleaf


Meet The Team cont.,


Every Tuesday and Thursday lunchtime, pupils in Years 7 and 8 are invited along to F10 from 12.55-1.20 to join in our Modern Languages Club. Run by Miss Derrett, and ably assisted by the Year 9 Language Ambassadors, the club is a fantastic way for pupils with a passion for Modern Languages to meet up and look at different aspects of European culture, from pop videos to making crêpes! It’s also a great way to make new friends with similar interests. We very much hope to see you there.

Modern Languages Curriculum - Years 7, 8 And 9

Mr Williams I began working at Fairfield in 2005 and during that time have enjoyed teaching French and German to Years 7-11. My interest in Languages began when I first started learning French at primary school. I studied French and German to GCSE level at Audenshaw (High) School and then continued to study both languages until leaving university. Languages really opened doors for me, I spent a year travelling around the south of France, northern Italy and Monaco and a second year based in the French Caribbean. I’ve made lots of friends from all over the world and

now use that knowledge and experience in my teaching. Languages gave me a different view on the world, it gave me a snapshot into different ways of life and different cultures. The overall drive behind my teaching is to share how languages can be such an eye-opening, cultural and rewarding experience.



Year 7 And 8 Modern Languages Club

Modern Languages Curriculum - Years 10 And 11

The Modern Languages Faculty at Fairfield have redesigned the curriculum for Years 7 to 9 to prepare and support our pupils for

success in the new-style GCSE examinations at the end of Year 11. In both French and German, there are a number of key themes including: describing yourself, family, friends and pets; school; free-time and hobbies; home and local area; food and drink; holidays and festivals; and jobs and employment. In addition to this, we develop our pupils’ core linguistic skills of listening, speaking, reading, writing and translating. We are introducing more authentic texts and abridged versions of literary texts which are elements of the new 2018 GCSE course. All our Schemes of Learning mirror the demands of the GCSE course so that our pupils become comfortable and confident with the necessary requirements to succeed. As well as preparing pupils for their Year 11 exams, we strive to deliver a curriculum in lower school that also leaves pupils with a passion for language learning and ignites an interest in discovering different cultures!

We are in the process of changing to the new 2018 specification, however, our current Year 11s will sit their GCSE in French, German or Spanish with the WJEC examination board. This outgoing specification includes controlled assessments in Speaking and Writing (which are worth 60% of the overall course) and terminal examinations in Listening and Reading with a weighting of 20% each. Pupils may be entered for either Foundation or Higher tier papers in Listening and Reading on a ‘mix and match’ basis. In addition, pupils complete a number of assessments, mock examinations and a multitude of past examination questions to equip them with the skills required to optimise their grade and levels of progress. Our current Year 10s are following the new Edexcel course which marks a return to equal weighting across all of the four skills, namely: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. A core element of the Reading and Writing papers is translation from the assessed language to English and vice versa. All the examinations will be sat at the end of the course in Year 11 and pupils may be entered on the basis of a one single tier across all four skills (either Foundation tier or Higher tier). Over the duration of upper school, pupils will complete a range of assessments, mock examinations and practice questions in preparation for the terminal ones at the end of the course. We offer all the girls the opportunity to buy discounted study guides and subscribe to a number of websites to strengthen vocabulary acquisition and grammar practice. Mr Devine

Continued overleaf


Examination Preparation

Pupils are issued with a booklet of examination Listening and Reading questions per topic. These booklets contain previous past paper questions or GCSE style questions per topic and are designed to give you the necessary practice to fully develop your examination technique.

Top Tip Keep all your booklets safe to provide you with extra revision materials in the run up to the terminal examinations. Ensure you monitor your performance and reflect on any areas of weakness, whether content driven or style of examination question, and seek advice from your class teacher on how to improve.


Get GCSE Ready In Modern Languages

Home Learning

We set your regular home learning tasks to increase your independence and resilience. An overview of your home learning tasks can be found on the Gateway. Remember that you can also use the website subscriptions to increase your vocabulary acquisition and grammar practice at any time. A ‘little and often’ approach is best reference to memorising vocabulary.

Top Tip For extra support with home learning tasks, ensure you speak to your Modern Languages’ teacher for further guidance – either in

class or seek us out at break or lunch - as required.

Period 6

Modern Languages Period 6 is held after school every Thursday of Green week for Year 11. Here you will receive targeted support or extra challenges to help you with either your controlled assessment or terminal examination preparation.

Top Tip Speak to your Modern Languages’ teacher and ensure you attend the focus weeks to address your areas of need.

Revision

It’s essential that you start preparing for your examinations as early as possible and keep key vocabulary at the forefront of your mind. This will ensure success in your terminal Listening and Reading examinations. Top Tip Use the school’s website subscriptions to practice key vocabulary and structures, such as www.vocabexpress.com and www.linguascope.com, as well as those listed on your KS4 Progress Tracker sheet. For additional reading practice, go online and search out articles in the target language on a topic known to you. With reference to listening practice, watch films in the target language and listen to authentic radio shows online. These will provide you with a very high level of challenge, however, you’ll be amazed at how much you’ll absorb over time! Feedback To aid your progress in Modern Languages, ensure you heed the advice and feedback of your teacher. Research has proven that better grades are achieved when you play an active role in understanding and improving your work. Reflect on what you are being asked to do and ensure you devote the time required to respond effectively, whether redrafting work or answering a specific question set.

Top Tip: Remember that your teacher is here to help you achieve your very best. Seek out their support if you don’t understand your targets or feedback.

Reading With Other Subjects

Do you struggle sometimes to find the time to read? Do you think that sometimes you’d like to try something different? Well, at Fairfield reading isn’t just for English! Each subject is currently in the process of putting together a recommended reading list specifically for Fairfield girls. The recommendations will include both fiction and non-fiction and will span a range of genres. So, if you answered yes to any of the above questions, ask your teacher in a favourite subject: “What would you recommend?” Here are some fantastic examples from the Humanities Faculty:

Year 7 General Read: Year 8 General Read: Year 9 General Read:

Anita and Me - Meera Syal

The Silver Branch - Rosemary Sutcliffe

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl -

Harriet Jacobs The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory

Testament of Youth - Vera Brittain

Warhorse - Michael Morpurgo

Year 7 Challenging Read: Year 8 Challenging Read: Year 9 Challenging Read:

Refugee Boy - Benjamin Zephaniah The Pillars Of The Earth - Ken Follett

A Journey Through Tudor England - Suzanna Lipscomb

Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens If This Is A Man - Primo Levi

http://www.vocabexpress.com

http://www.linguascope.com


See overleaf for more activities

Extra-Curricular Activities Up To 17th February 2017

These are the activities taking place within school up to the 17th February 2017.

Join in, make new friends, learn new skills or catch up on homework/coursework.

ACTIVITY STAFF ATTENDEES VENUE DAY TIME

Humanities Film Club Mr Di Paola & Humanities Staff

Years 7, 8 & 9 G65 When advertised, see Humanities staff

2.40pm-4.00pm

Sunrise Club Mr Gauld & Mrs Skyrme

Open to all pupils Drama Studio Monday – Friday 7.30am–8.00am

Breakfast Club Mrs Graham Open to all pupils Canteen Monday – Friday 7.30am–8.00am

Eco Group Mrs Harvey-Kuczaj & Ms Eason

Open to all pupils G37b Monday - Friday 12.40pm - 1.20pm

EAL Reading Group Miss Marson Invited pupils only S9 Monday 12.40pm-1.20pm

Coding Club Mr McCormick Year 7 pupils S7b Monday 12.40pm-1.25pm

Drama GCSE Support Mrs Gallagher Year 11 Drama Studio Monday - Friday 12.55pm-1.35pm

Table Tennis Mr Gauld Open to all pupils Drama Studio Monday 12.55pm–1.25pm

GCSE Music Booster Mr Blaylock GCSE Music groups G39 Monday 12.55pm – 1.40pm

Programming practice for GCSE Computing

Mrs Rowland Years 10 and 11 S7b Monday 12.55pm-1.40pm

Homework Club Miss Dooley & Team

Open to all pupils G28 Monday – Friday 12.55pm–1.40pm

Year 8 Targeted Maths Booster Sessions

Mr Kettle Targeted Year 8 pupils

G48 Monday 1.00pm–1.20pm

Active Lunchtime Mrs Loney & Active Prefects

Year 7 Tennis Courts Monday – Thursday 1.00pm–1.25pm

Duke of Edinburgh Award Cooking Skills

Mrs Middleton Year 11 D of E pupils

G54 Monday 2.40pm

GCSE PE Practical Activities

Miss Wilkinson & Miss Watson

GCSE PE pupils See PE staff Monday 2.40pm – 4.00pm

SHINE Mrs Woodhouse Years 7 and 8 by invitation only

G59 Tuesday 12.40pm–1.25pm

Art & Design Homework Club

Mr Evison Open to all pupils G37 Tuesday 12.40pm-1.40pm

Table Tennis Mr Gauld Open to all pupils Drama Studio Tuesday 12.55pm–1.25pm

Drama Club Mrs Gallagher Years 7 - 10 Drama Studio Tuesday 2.40pm-3.40pm

Craft Club Mrs Mutter & Miss Skyrme

Open to all pupils Library Tuesday 2.40pm–3.45pm

Young Enterprise Mr Johnson, Mrs Owen & Mrs Pearson

Year 10 Young Enterprise team

Tech block Tuesday 2.40pm-3.45pm

Drama GCSE Support Mrs Gallagher Year 11 Drama Studio Tuesday - Friday 2.40pm-5.00pm

Young Carers Mrs Knowles/Mrs Graham/Miss Hannible

Young carers only G22 Tuesday, monthly. See Mrs Knowles.

2.40pm–3.30pm


Miss Hutchinson and Miss Mills

Targeted Year 10 pupils

G48 Tuesday 2.40pm–3.40pm

Raspberry Pi Club Mrs Rowland Years 7, 8 & 9 S7 Wednesday 12.40pm-1.25pm

Orchestra Mr Blaylock Open to all pupils Hall Wednesday 12.45pm – 1.20pm

Sign Language Mr Gauld Year 7 G27 Wednesday 12.55pm–1.25pm


Extra-Curricular Activities cont.,

Please see page 25 for details of the PE Department’s extra-curricular activities.

Reading Club Mrs Simpson Years 7, 8 and 9 Library Wednesday 12.55pm-1.25pm

Music Technology Mr Blaylock Years 7, 8 and 9 Hall Wednesday 12.55pm–1.20pm


Mr Kettle Targeted Year 7 pupils

G48 Wednesday 1.00pm-1.40pm

Careers advice and information Mrs Barnett Open to all pupils Progression Office (F8)

Wednesday 2.40pm–3.30pm

Programming for the Future Mrs Rowland Year 9 S7 Wednesday 2.40pm-3.30pm

Written Voices Mr Bennett Open to all pupils G18 Wednesday 2.45pm–3.45pm

SHINE Mrs Woodhouse Year 7 and 8 pupils by invitation only

G59 Thursday 12.40pm–1.25pm

Rock Ensemble Mr Blaylock Open to all pupils G39 Friday 12.45pm – 1.20pm

Table Tennis Mr Gauld Open to all pupils Drama Studio Thursday 12.55pm–1.25pm

Additional Programming Mrs Rowland KS4 Computing pupils

S7b Thursday 12.55pm–1.40pm

English Drop-In English staff KS4 pupils S6 Thursday 12.55pm – 1.25pm

STEM Club Mrs Pearson, Mrs Searle & Dr Roberts

Years 7, 8 and 9 G38 Thursday 2.45pm-3.45pm

Year 7, 8 and 9 Tutor Trust Tutoring in English, Maths or Science

Miss McGregor and Tutor Trust Tutors

Selected Year 7, 8 and 9 pupils

Library, G59 and G30/F14

Thursday 2.50pm-3.50pm

Maths Drop-In Mrs McCormick & Mr Prudham

Open to all pupils G48 Friday 12.55pm-1.35pm

Chess Club Mr Gauld Open to all pupils G26 Friday 12.55pm–1.25pm

Friday Friendship Mrs Graham & Miss Skyrme

Year 7 pupils G40 Friday 1.00pm–1.20pm

Manga Club Mrs Woodhouse Open to all pupils G59 Friday 2.45pm-3.30pm

Table Tennis Mr Gauld Open to all pupils Drama Studio Friday 2.45pm-3.30pm

Year 8 Pledges

Year 8 Pledges are going really well and Year 8 Forms are already hard at work raising money for Plan International, a charity for which you raise money to sponsor a girl in a less fortunate country.

Last year, Mr Hesketh walked the Inca Trail and the Pledge Ambassadors from Years 7, 8 and 9 helped to run a campaign to help raise money. On the week of the 25th November, we had a visit from Breast Cancer Research UK and When You Wish Upon A Star so that they could receive cheques for the money that the school had raised. It was a real privilege to meet the ladies behind the charities, to find out more about their work and to hear their stories. £800 was given to each of these two charities and we hope to work very closely with them again in the near future.

Catriona McDermott 8F

Reading Passports

Reading is a vital part of life. In fact, we think it is so important here at Fairfield that the English Faculty has introduced Reading Passports in conjunction with the Pledges Programme. The Reading Passports contain a wide range of activities that encourage independent and broad reading. All Year 7s must complete their Reading Passport in order to gain their Cultural Pledge. The reason why it is part of the Pledges Programme is because we believe that reading plays a crucial part in helping young people develop an understanding of the world around them. It also helps them to explore new ideas and see the world in different ways.

Mrs Plant


Pupils in Year 11 who are studying BTEC Health and Social Care have had the opportunity to

visit a local care home this term, Daisy Nook House. The care home is run by HC-One and specialises in Dementia, Nursing, Residential and Specialist care with homes throughout the UK. Their aim is “to provide the kindest possible care and experience for Residents, simply, easily, effectively and efficiently while employing some of Britain's kindest and most professional people”. With the help of Orla, the manager of Daisy Nook House, I have been able to organise visits during our lesson times to the Day Centre where pupils have been able to engage in a number of different activities with residents and visitors. Our pupils have enjoyed painting nails, making cards, painting, singing songs and listening to lots of stories from the service users which include years of training as an acrobat, touring the country as part of a dance group and talking to a Fairfield Old Girl who had very special memories of our school. Part of the coursework in BTEC Health and Social Care is an observation within a Health and Social Care setting. Fairfield staff who attend the visits with the pupils are looking for values that underpin all aspects of care including ‘Respect for the Individual’, ‘Person Centred Approach’, ‘Duty of Care’ and ‘Dignity’. These values were continually displayed throughout the visits as pupils assisted residents with craft activities and sat down to talk to others who chose not to join in. The pupils thoroughly enjoyed each visit and it was lovely to see them engaging with each resident, listening intently to their stories and displaying dignity and respect for each person that they met. All our pupils behaved in a very mature manner and displayed kindness, patience and empathy throughout each visit. I speak for all the staff who attended when I say that we were very proud of them all. As a thank you to Orla and the staff at Daisy Nook House, I invited them into school for a Christmas themed tea party in the library on Thursday 8th December. I asked my Year 11 class to bake some cakes that we enjoyed alongside some tea, coffee and hot chocolate whilst we listened to our school choir sing some carols led by Mrs Baker. On the evening of Wednesday 14th December, Orla and five residents were invited to watch our school production ‘Elf The Musical’ which they thoroughly enjoyed. These experiences, enjoyed by our pupils and staff, are very special and something that neither us nor the residents of Daisy Nook House will forget. A huge thank you to Orla and her staff for making us feel so welcome. Mrs Harvey-Kuczaj Director of Pledges and Graduation, Years 9 and 10

Year 11 Visit Daisy Nook Care Home

Everyone at Fairfield High School for Girls would like to wish all parents, carers and pupils a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

School resumes at 8.15am on Tuesday, 3rd January 2017.

Best Wishes From Fairfield

Year 7 Pledges

In Year 7, we have started Pledges this term and have been really busy already making sure that we fulfil Pledges in Citizenship, Participation, Independence, Teamwork and Culture. We have been getting involved in: Reading Club, Written Voices, Code Club, Eco Group, Operation Christmas Child, Stem Club, Friday Friendship, Science Challenge to name a few. Also, we have been learning more about the Moravian Community on our Moravian settlement tour with the History Department which counts towards our Cultural Pledge. For Citizenship we have been supporting charity events such as the Macmillan Coffee Morning, Operation Christmas Child and

more. We are currently donating packaged food and toiletries to St Albans Food Bank as our focus on the run up to Christmas. Our aim is for everyone to get at least two Pledges signed off before the Christmas holidays. Year 7 has made a great start and they are looking forward to new challenges ahead in the next term. Here are some of my top tips for Pledges success:

Join clubs and activities during, after and outside of school – it’s a great way to learn new skills and make new

friends.

If you’re not sure about how to get a Pledge, ask one of the Pledge Ambassadors – they are always there to

help.

Get your Pledges signed off by Form tutors, teachers and parents/carers regularly.

Saba Butt 7C


Do you enjoy reading? Do you like discussing ideas about characters, themes and interesting issues with other like-minded people? Then come along to Reading Club! When: Every Wednesday at 12.55pm - 1.25 pm. Where: In the Library Who: All of KS3 welcome!

Reading Club

Friday Friendship

Friday Friendship is run by Mrs Graham and Mrs Skyrme, with the help of girls like myself from Years 8 and 9.

Every Friday, we play fun games and encourage everyone in Years 7, 8 and 9 to get involved and get to know one another. I joined in Year 8 and found it was a great way to make friends and get to know other girls in school. We had a lot of new girls in Year 7 join and it would be great if we could get more girls to become a part of our Friday Friendship family. It is held in the Drama Studio at 1pm every Friday. We hope many of you can attend.

Caitlin McPeake 9G

In a world filled with reality TV, it’s great to see our pupils are still interested in the theatre. In October, pupils and staff went to watch Dirty Dancing at Manchester Palace Theatre. A fantastic show that didn’t disappoint every fan of the movie and its music. Next term, I have booked The Nutcracker on Saturday, January 7th at Buxton Opera House. The Russian Ballet Company will be performing, who we have previously seen in Swan Lake. I am sure this performance will be just as spectacular and will not disappoint. There are a few tickets left, so if you want to join us, come to G37b for a letter. In March, we are off to watch Grease, again at Manchester Palace Theatre. I’m sure tickets will sell out fast for this one, so if you are interested, please collect a letter from G37b and return your reply slip as soon as possible.

Don’t forget, your attendance on these trips means that you can sign off a Culture Pledge. Mrs Harvey-Kuczaj Direct of Pledges and Graduations, Years 9 and 10

To be nominated for Pupil of the Month, Maths teachers will be looking for pupils who stand out in many different ways, such as excellent effort in lessons, motivation, willingness to try, going above and beyond to name a few. Each teacher will nominate a pupil from lower school and upper school, with a random name generator choosing the final winners. Winning pupils will have their photograph on display, receive a certificate and they will also receive 500 Vivos. All the girls have been working really hard in their Maths lessons this term, especially with the new challenges of the new curriculum so it has been really difficult for their teachers to nominate for Maths Pupil of the Month. Pupils who have been nominated for their hard work and their determination to

achieve have gone above and beyond. Here are the November winners: Ella Witter was nominated by Mrs Hill for always working hard in lessons and for achieving a strong mark on her first assessment.

Leigha Bonworth was nominated by Miss McIver for great contributions in class.

Daisy Hitchen was nominated by Mrs McCormick for making a brilliant start to Year 9 and working well.

Rosheen Ebbrell was nominated by Miss Fisher for her effort

and progress made this term.

Tia Thornton has been nominated by Mr Prudham for her determination to achieve her target grade and the hard work she has put in so far this year. The girls have made an excellent effort with their learning, well done to you all and keep up the good work.

Mrs Searle

Maths Pupil Of The Month Fairfield Theatre Visits

Memorial Service

We attended the annual Service of Remembrance at Ryecroft Hall on

Saturday 12th November as representatives of the school, with Miss Hannible and Mrs Knowles. We, along with Audenshaw councillors and members of Ryecroft Hall Committee, laid a wreath to show our respect. The National Anthem was also played and there were lots of different readings. The bugler played The Last Post and it was a very heart-warming service.

Despite the rain, there was a very good turnout and it was definitely worth it to be able to pay our respects on behalf of the school. Thank you to Mrs Knowles for organising it so we could attend. Lest We Forget.

Pareeta Tanna 11F Grace Rainey 11D Head Girl Deputy Head Girl


Spotlight On The Science Faculty

Meet The Team

Dr Cahill Director of Study for Science I've always had a passion for Science and an interest in how things work and why things happen. I opted to study Separate Sciences at school and went on to read for a BSc in Chemistry. A thirst for fieldwork led me to study for an MSc in Conservation Biology and a PhD in Tropical Ecology. I was lucky enough to spend

several years in the rain forests of Africa and Indonesia, where I enjoyed working alongside and living with people of different cultures and also became interested in education. I believe that in order to live sustainably on our planet the next generation, more than ever, needs an understanding of Science to ensure we have the tools to overcome current global issues such as climate change. I've been a teacher at Fairfield High School for 10 years. I love being in the classroom and never tire of helping pupils grasp difficult science concepts. The enthusiasm and energy of the young people I teach is contagious and question time with Year 7 is one of my favourite activities. Before taking on the role of Director of Study I previously held the

position of KS3 Co-ordinator. The Science curriculum has recently undergone massive change and it is my responsibility to lead the Faculty in making Science enjoyable, relevant, challenging and a subject in which they can make fantastic progress.

Mrs John Charles Science Co-ordinator, KS4 As a child I always had an inquisitive mind and was constantly asking my parents questions about how things worked. My Science teacher Mrs Pike, used to get extremely frustrated with me in lessons because I never seemed to put my hand down. I always looked forward to my Science lessons and by the end of Year 7 I was adamant that I would pursue a career in Science.

I found that I had a natural affinity with Chemistry as I really enjoyed working with chemicals and eventually went on to study Chemistry at The University of Manchester. In my third year I joined a tutor programme that tutored first year students who were experiencing difficulties understanding certain aspects of the course. I found this really rewarding and it was at this point that I started to consider a career in teaching.

I worked as an analytical chemist in industry for a year but soon realised that what I actually really wanted to do was to teach Science. I completed my PGCE at Leeds University and never looked back. I came to Fairfield in 2014 as the KS4 Co-ordinator in Science and have really enjoyed working here alongside such a committed and hardworking Science team.

I am passionate about education and have high aspirations and expectations of all my pupils. I firmly believe that every child should have the opportunity to prosper and develop in a safe and stimulating learning environment and believe that Fairfield High School has the perfect setting for enabling pupils to do this

Miss Moss Science Co-ordinator, KS3 I had a really happy time at school and I always loved Science with all the experiments so I chose to continue studying it at college. I didn't really think about what I wanted to do after University but knew that it should involve Biology (my favourite Science!) so I decided that teacher training was for me. I've enjoyed teaching Science for 18 years now, and most of this has been at Fairfield. I look after KS3 Science too so get to organize the Chester Zoo trip, Dead On Time and as many trips as possible to enrich the

Science curriculum. I can't imagine working anywhere else now or doing another job. One of the nicest things about teaching is bumping into pupils new and old to see what they are doing now.

Continued overleaf

Back row L-R: Mrs Williamson (Technician), Mr Rhodes, Mrs John-Charles, Mrs Davenport, Dr Beckett,

Mr Oles, Mr Blackbourn Front row L-R: Dr Roberts, Dr Cahill, Miss Moss


Spotlight On The Science Faculty


Dr Beckett I have has always had a passionate interest in Science, and studied for A-levels in Biology, Chemistry and Physics at sixth form in Lincolnshire before moving to Manchester for the first time in 1990. I attended Manchester University, first studying for an Honours Degree in Biology and, later, a PhD in Palaeobotany and Climatology (big words which mean “looking at plant fossils to identify them and see if they hold any clues for looking at the effects of modern global warning”). I was fortunate to work in post-graduate situations at both Manchester University and The British Museum of Natural History, before being offered a permanent job in China. However, for a variety of reasons, I made the decision to stay in England and to re-train as a Science Teacher. Although I have now been teaching for

more years than I would care to remember, this is a decision I have never regretted. I am now Assistant Headteacher, with a wide range of whole school responsibilities, but my favourite part of my job is still supporting pupils’ learning in a classroom.

Mr Blackbourn As a young child, I was always inquisitive and enjoyed finding out about the world around me. When I progressed onto my first chemistry set it exploded spectacularly and covered the kitchen ceiling. After that my mum put the chemistry set in the dustbin. Perhaps back then I was destined to become a chemistry teacher. I always enjoyed Science at the Boys High School that I attended and I remember one year winning the Chemistry prize and being presented with it by former England goalkeeper Bob Wilson. My academic success continued at University when I gained a First Class degree of which I was very proud. After

starting my teaching career, my love for learning continued and I studied in the evening with the Open University to attain a Masters degree. I am now in my 18th year of teaching at Fairfield which in itself says how much I enjoy teaching the lovely pupils that we have here.

Mr Rhodes At school I was a keen linguist and scientist, and took the first GCSE exams. At college I studied Maths, Sciences and Art. I worked weekends and school holidays from the age of 13 and have had a range of part-time jobs. By the time I was at college I wanted to be a Marine Biologist. At Leicester University I studied Biology and then came back up to Manchester to do teacher training. I completed a teacher training placement at Fairfield in 1994, and returned to teach here in 2001 after teaching at other schools.

Dr Roberts I started teaching Science here in September, but it was like I never really left because I was a pupil here for five years. I have settled in really well and I love teaching here. This is my third year of teaching, before I became a teacher I completed my PhD and degree at the University of Manchester. My favourite part of Science to teach is Physics, I especially love teaching about forces.

Mr Oles My interest in Science began at school in Sheffield, having been inspired by my Biology teacher Mr Lancaster. Following A-levels, I went to university in Manchester to study Psychology and Neuroscience. I spent a couple of years working for a major high street bank before deciding to emulate Mr Lancaster and become a teacher. I start-ed my career at an all-boys school in Trafford before moving to Fairfield in 2008. It is perhaps unusual that I have never taught both boys and girls together. In my career I have predominantly taught Biology, but I have spent considerable time teaching Chemistry, ICT,

Maths and working as a mentor. I am greatly interested in the science and psychology of learning and motivation – just one of the ways in which my previous learning continues to have an impact on my work. For those of you facing one of the most challenging and intense periods of your life in the run up to your exams, I offer one piece of wisdom to help see you through: everything will be alright in the end, and if it’s not alright it’s not the end.


www.kerboodle.com

All pupils in Year 10 and Year 11 have access to this useful online learning resource. The site provides a digital text book and accompanying revision resources in the form of animations, audio clips, PowerPoints and online tests with instant feed-back. Pupils will also be set Home Learning, by their teach-ers, to complete over the course of their study.

Dr Cahill

Spotlight On The Science Faculty cont.,

A fantastic number of Year 7 pupils participated in the Science Challenge this term and the quality of entries was outstanding. Pupils were asked to choose from a list of science based activities they could carry out at home and to produce a written

report on their observa-

tions. The reports showed that pupils had great fun us-ing their family members as assistants. Well done to all involved. The winners were: 1st Place - Laura Anderson Runners up - Abbie Beckett 7G and Bailey Patel 7D

Left: Bailey Patel with Maisie Singleton. Right: Laura

Anderson’s sister Jessica taking part in the project

Plastic Fantastic Lecture

On the 28th September, 26 Year 10 Separate Science GCSE pupils went along to see Fantastic Plastic…or how to make your first £Million at the Museum of Science and Industry.

This was a demonstration lecture by the very engaging Professor Averil MacDonald. The lecture was designed to match the Science National Curriculum at Key Stage 4 and bring in elements of Enterprise. We learnt the answers to many questions about plastics and some we hadn't even thought of, such as, what's the link between Lego™ blocks, zero pollution cars, disposable nappies, liquids that flow up hill and false legs?

How is this linked to the perfect recipe for slime? And how can you use all this to make a million? Professor Averil has been awarded an OBE in recognition of her work supporting women in Science and it was inspiring to see her communicating innovative Science concepts through very visual demonstrations. Dr Cahill

Year 7 Science Bistro

We had a fantastic number of enthusiastic pupils and their families join in with the Autumn Science Bistro on 17th October.

The theme of the evening was construction and teams took part in three challenges: building the tallest working lighthouse, designing paper planes with the least air resistance and defying gravity with the longest marble run. We had a lot of fun and everyone showed great skill, scientific knowledge and perseverance to complete their entries. After a buffet supper together, the winners were announced as: Ellie Walsh - Most aerodynamic plane Halle Palmer - Tallest working lighthouse

Abigail Knowles - Slowest marble run Dr Cahill

The Science Curriculum

The Science curriculum at KS3 has been redeveloped to support pupils' progress to KS4 through gaining knowledge of key scientific concepts and investigative skills. Pupils will focus on the mastery of ten areas, ensuring they can both understand and apply the concepts of Forces, Electromagnetism, Energy, Waves, Matter, Reactions, Earth, Organisms, Ecosystems and Genes. In the second term of Year 9 pupils will begin their GCSE studies. At KS4 pupils will continue with the process of building upon and deepening their scientific knowledge and understanding of ideas

in the subject disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. There is also an increased emphasis on working scientifically; the ability to analyse, communicate, enquire and solve, as well as the application of mathematical skills. Pupils in Year 11 are still following GCSE Core Science and GCSE Additional Science, with a 25% coursework element. Some pupils have opted to take a third science qualification GCSE Further Additional Science. Pupils in Year 10 are now following the new curriculum of either Combined Science: Trilogy, which is the equivalent of two GCSE grades, or they are taking three separate science GCSEs. These new more challenging courses are 100% examined and do not involve any coursework.

Despite the many challenges of the new curriculum we endeavour to ensure all pupils get the most out of their Science lessons and find them enjoyable and interesting. Dr Cahill

Mrs Davenport: At school my favourite subjects were Science, Maths and Art. In Year 10, I was fortunate to get the opportunity to go on an engineering course. My focus then changed and I eventually went to University to complete a degree in pure and applied physics. I was given the chance to study for a PhD but decided I had been a student long enough! I have been teaching for 16 years but previously I worked in the banking sector for over 10 years. I have been a Science teacher at Fairfield now for 11 years, teaching KS3 Science and GCSE Physics. Physics really makes sense of the world around us and I hope that I can pass this onto the girls I teach, as well as

my my love for football, cars and Lego!

Year 7 Science Challenge

Revision Using Kerboodle


Events Taking Place Next Half-Term

Year 11 Parents Evening

Year 9 Progression Evening

Year 10 trip to Berlin

Year 9 Parents Evening

Staff Announcements

Mrs Owen, Assistant Director of SEND (Special

Educational Needs and Disabilities) left Fairfield recently

to start a new venture. We wish her luck for the future.

Mrs Duncan, teacher of Food Technology and Director of

Learning and Teaching is leaving us at the end of this term to take up the post of Head of Technology. Mrs Duncan is a well-loved and well-respected member of staff and will be missed by all.

Mrs Baker, teacher of Music and a Learning and Teaching

Co-ordinator is leaving us at the end of this term to relocate and teach music to children who are excluded from mainstream education. Mrs Baker has become an valuable member of the Performing Arts Team and will be missed by pupils and staff alike. Good luck Mrs Baker!

Miss Cain, Assistant Director of SEND left Fairfield

recently for pastures new. We wish her luck.

Mr Thompson recently joined us to provide support in the

English Faculty.

Ms Higton will join us in January as teacher of Music.

Ms Dempsey will join us in January as teacher of English.

Congratulations go to Mr Oles who has recently become

the father to a beautiful baby girl. May all your problems be little ones!

We say goodbye and thank you to Mrs Hollinshead who

returned to us after the summer to provide teaching assistance in our English Faculty.

Mr Bateman (no relation to Mrs Bateman, our Deputy

Headteacher) recently joined us to provide teaching cover for Miss McGregor in the Humanities Faculty.

Lifeskills Groundwork

Tameside Groundwork has been visiting Years 7, 8 and 10 Life Skills classes to highlight the rise in domestic abuse cases and to teach young people about healthy, safe relationships and how to report abuse. Below are comments of two Year 7 pupils who have participated. Mrs Woodhouse On Friday 11th November, a member of Tameside Groundwork came to talk to us about domestic abuse. They believe it is important for us to learn about it as unfortunately it may happen to someone we know and, if it does, we now know what to do and how we can stop it.

There are several kinds of abuse including verbal, physical, financial and

sexual and we can now identify this kind of behaviour and report it.

Emilie English 7G Renae Graham 7G

Well done to all the pupils who have taken part in Period 6 so far this year. We have had a great turn out.

All Science staff are available every Thursday after school to provide pupils with an ongoing programme of support for their Core Science GCSE. It's really important that all pupils invited take this opportunity to keep making progress in Core Science, in preparation for their GCSE in May.

Dr Cahill

Spotlight On The Science Faculty cont.,

Period 6 in Science

Literacy Puzzle Solution (Page 5)

The word ‘snowflake’ appears 17 times. Did you find them all?

Contact Information

To improve communication between home and school, the school has an e-mail and text messaging service so that we can notify parents and carers of important announcements such as unplanned school closures, reminders of Parents Evenings and school events etc. We would like to take this opportunity to remind you how important it is that we keep your contact details up to date. If you change your address, home, work or mobile telephone numbers or your e-mail address, please forward the new details to us so that we may update our system. It is imperative that school is able to contact parents and carers in the event of an emergency. Thank you in advance for your co-operation and continued support.


During this half-term, the cast and I have been working hard on

the latest school producation, Elf The Musical. By now I hope you will have watched it or wished that you had! We have been working extremely hard and put in a lot of time to rehearse and it has really paid off. Though the hours were long, with three rehearsals a week since September and also a Sunday, we all enjoyed it very much and look forward to doing it again, though sadly Mrs Baker will not be here to enjoy it with us as she is leaving at the end of this term. Many laughs and tears were shared throughout and altogether it has been a great experience. Thank you to everyone who helped make the show such a success. Tilly McKie 9G A matinée performance for local primary schools took place on Monday, 12th December. The evening shows of the production took place on the 13th, 14th and 15th December, as the newsletter went to press. A full article about the production, including photographs, will be included in the next newsletter.

At Fairfield, we expect the highest of standards at all times in terms of behaviour, attitude and effort. When a student exceeds this expectation, it is right that we celebrate this achievement. The following girls have been awarded Student of the Week by the English Faculty, after being nominated by their class teacher. They have all been recognised as outstanding pupils in English this term.

We would like to say a huge well done to these girls for their impeccable attitude and the high standard of work they have produced within the subject area. Well done, girls! Mrs Plant Director of Study, English

Student Of The Week In English

Blood Brothers

School Production Of Elf

Gurleen Ahoja Chloe Roberts Caitlin Ashton Alessi Bottomley Esme Naughton Yasmin Jones Olivia Sinclair Klea Spahiu Praise Obadimeji Molly Thompson Emma Jones

Chloe Neild Georgia Payton Isabelle Shepard Ella Parkes Ellie Hart Aaliah Qureshi Shaza Al-Haddad Nadia Kakar Fay Wilde Hope Garvey Neeve Wilson

Eliys Hodskinson Isabella Reid Elissa Shour Hannah Boardman Ella Morrison Abigail Kelly Daisy Greer Laurelle Obi Farhana Khan

The Year 10 GCSE Drama groups went to see Willy Russell’s

‘Blood Brothers’ performed in the Lowry Theatre. The play was a tragedy with some comedic elements. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the performance and most of us were left in tears. The first act showed the brothers growing up and was extremely funny! In the second act we saw the brothers turn against each other which eventually resulted in a tragic end.

Overall, we all had a great time and we would like to thank Mrs Gallagher for organising the trip. We would also like to thank Mrs Baker and Miss McClave for coming with us.

Abbie Lawrence 10D Jess Birchwood 10F

On the 4th of November, we held a bake sale to raise money for Stand Up To Cancer. We thought that it was a good cause and would also help to raise awareness for people who have cancer. We know people who have had breast cancer and that’s why we thought our Form, 9B, would organise a bake sale. We are pleased to say that the person we are thinking of has now finally beat cancer, but she still has to go to the hospital for

check-ups. Altogether we raised £66.00 for our charity.

Emily Grose, Erin Parker, Eleanor Donaldson 9B

Stand Up To Cancer

Millstream Animal Shelter

I, and a few others from 10A, decided to raise money for a local charity. We had lots of charities in mind but we chose Millstream Animal Shelter. After we chose Millstream, we then agreed to hold a bake sale with each of us making cakes, brownies,

cupcakes, biscuits etc. and also helping out at the sale. The bake sale was held on Monday 17th October, at lunchtime outside Mrs Kuczaj’s room. We managed to raise £82.00 and everything sold out in 15 minutes! We donated the money by visiting Millstream Animal Shelter in person. Thank you to everyone who bought something at our sale or who donated their money for a great cause.

Charlotte Fisher 10A


Year 11 pupils have recently been shown an amazing website during their Maths lessons:

www.pinpointlearning.co.uk

Following on from the mock exams in November, the website enables pupils to upload their individual marks and receive targeted support in the form of videos and past exam questions, focussing on five personal and specific targets from each paper according to her performance in the mock exam papers.

Pupils can also enter the marks for any other Maths Edexcel paper on here, each time creating a personalised action plan of next steps they need to complete. Already this year, pupils have completed three full exam papers that could be entered on to the website to enable them to work on their own areas for development.

Pupils have individual usernames and passwords for this and can access it at any time as long as they have Internet access. They have been shown how it works in Maths lessons but here is a reminder:

Instructions 1. Go to website address above 2. Click ‘student login’ at the top 3. Enter your individual username and password (given out in lessons) 4. At the top, click ‘input your test scores’ 5. Click ‘choose a past paper’ 6. On the drop down menu, select either 9to1 Edexcel Secure Mock 1F, 2F, 3F, 1H, 2H or 3H (according to the paper number and

tier) for the mock exam or another date for past paper homeworks, as appropriate 7. Enter the marks you got for each question (put 0 if you didn’t get any) 8. Click ‘submit query’ 9. You will then get a new screen and can select any of the options for practise on areas that need developing. You can watch

videos linked to these topics and download the GCSE PDF booklet, personalised for you, containing past exam questions to help you practise these areas.

Mrs McCormick Director of Study, Mathematics

Year 11 Maths - PinPoint Learning

Fairfield Eco Warriors

This term, I have had a large number of pupils join ECO Club. It is fantastic to see so many pupils interested in recycling, saving energy and reducing our carbon footprint on our planet. A huge thank you to these pupils who are giving up their lunchtimes to work on Power Points, posters, collect paper baskets and most recently keeping our site clean with litter picks. Early next year they will be going into assemblies to share their message and hopefully get everyone on board and following our school ECO Ethos.

Mrs Harvey-Kuczaj Director of Pledges and Graduation, Years 9 and 10

In Eco Club, one of the things that we do is litter picking. This is an activity that we do regularly and this is to keep our school community clean. We enjoy spending time with friends by helping the school, we know we are making the world a cleaner place by cleaning the school community. We don’t only do litter picking, we do a variety of different types of activities. Every week we go around the school to the tennis courts, Technology block and all over the school grounds to clean and make sure it

looks neat and tidy ready for visitors, parent and carers. Litter picking isn’t just about keeping the school grounds clean, it is also about keeping creatures safe and us safe.

Sorcha Murphy 8E Jessica Gough 8B At Eco Club we do many fun things such as litter picks, making posters, designing and making badges and we empty the paper bins during lunch times! We enjoy this because we know that we are helping the school, it’s really fun and the environment benefits from all of the rubbish we collect and the recycling that we do! Georgia Bane 8G and Millie-Grace Atkinson 8E

On Friday 11th November, we set up some bird feeders in ECO Club. One of these was my grandad’s old bird feeders that I inherited. I also brought in some bird feed from his house and am planning to bring in some mealworms for them. Filling and putting the feeders up was and still is fun. If you would like to contribute bird seed please go to Ms Eason in G3.

Emily Withers-Doyle 8C

Above (L-R) Georgia Bane and Millie-Grace Atkinson

http://www.pinpointlearning.co.uk


As part of our SMSC pastoral curriculum at Fairfield we have a Gratitude Week at the end of each term where we encourage the girls

to write a ‘thank you’ message to someone in school. For example, a friend that did something kind or gave good advice, a member of staff that helped with a difficult subject or a teacher whose lessons pupils particularly enjoy. In our daily lives where we are constantly rushing about we sometimes forget to stop and thank others and reflect on what we have. We can take for granted simple things such as the love we share with our families and communities, the right to an education and our freedom. Not everyone around the world is so fortunate. Here are a two stories from pupils who understand these issues well: Mrs Rasul Not everyone is lucky enough to have everything that we have. People have to face lots of problems and difficulties to have a safe and peaceful life. People in poorer countries face conflict every day and peace remains a distant dream in their countries. The people who suffer the most are often the children. They face the dangers of being kidnapped and harassed. The bombings and war every day make the people feel in danger and more likely to be attacked. Their life is not easy. They have to face lots of difficulties and problems just to get bread from the nearest shop. The attackers are spread out in every place of the country. Imagine what life would be like in such a country. The children there cannot study and receive an education. People cannot work to earn their livelihood and so they remain hungry. They don’t have any means of entertainment. They don’t have any legal rights so that they can stand against their attackers.

We are lucky to receive education, entertainment, food and much more. We must be grateful for what we have. Never feel jealous of what somebody else has. We have lots to be grateful for. Feel pleasure in whatever you have. Manpreet Bahtra 8F

Being grateful is something really important to us personally but it also affects the lives of people around us. It is something really special that makes up our identity and morals and also symbolises and reflects a sense of connection among people. To be grateful is to have a great attitude and to have a positive stance or position towards a situation. Some other people might express that being grateful is being or feeling great and appreciative of things that you are able to have in your life. Being glad to be the person you are is a great feeling that many people around the world are unable to have. In today’s society many people feel that they deserve everything that they have, but they don’t realise that everything they have is probably wanted by people all over the world who don’t have the same rights, opportunities and possessions - these people are not seen as being important. In many countries, gratitude is one of the most neglected emotions and one of the most underestimated virtues. In places such as parts of Africa, Syria and Iraq some people don’t have some of the most basic human rights. Some of these rights include: freedom of religion, freedom of speech, food, water, shelter, having friends and being able to go out with them, freedom of having the ability to learn and have a good education, freedom of being able to vote, equal rights, happiness, privileges and being able to have a normal life. However, the list doesn’t end here. There are many things that people are entitled to that other people in different countries don’t have the right or the freedom to. Just take a moment and THINK. Think about all of the different things that you are able to have in the UK such as good education, freedom of speech, the right to vote, religion, family, friends, food and water, clothing (including expensive designer goods) and accessories. Some of these things may not seem as meaningful and significant to you, but in countries such as Syria, people are experiencing war and therefore cannot have access to all of these things. Events like this are leading people to immigration. For them this means leaving their memories and maybe even their families behind. For them it’s like a fresh start which wipes out all of the good memories that they had made in their home land.

Would YOU sacrifice leaving your home land to reach safety? THINK...how hard is it really, to leave everything behind and start a new life in a country that you may have never heard of, a country of which you can’t speak the language and know their culture? All of these things are being experienced by unfortunately people around the world. Please think how grateful you

should be for not being someone in the description above - please be grateful for everything that you have and every minute of your life.

Klea Spahiu 10E

SMSC At Fairfield - Being Grateful


Tutor Trust And Peer Mentors

During this term, girls across KS3 have been attending the Tutor Trust. This involved university students from Manchester University coming into school and delivering extra tuition in the core subjects. This term the

Year groups have received tutoring in the following subjects: Year 7 - Science Year 8 - English Year 9 - Maths This is what girls have to say about the tutoring: Caitlin King 9F: “My tutor was nice and made the tutoring interesting. I have become better at skills like

subtracting, adding, multiplying and dividing negative numbers. I would do the tutoring again as it was good and helps me develop skills’.” Louise Hanvey 8D: “I enjoyed the tutoring because they made the things I find more challenging really fun. I feel I made progress in my subject as it helped me understand things I didn’t know. I had 100% attendance and I would attend the tutoring again because its enjoyable and fun.”

Safiha Islam 7G: “I enjoyed the tutoring because we got to ask questions about different things in

Science. I feel it has definitely helped me make progress because I didn’t understand forces properly and now I do. I would like to do the tutoring again, as it is fun.”

This term, our new Year 10 Peer Mentors have been supporting all girls attending the Tutor Trust. Below is a list of our Year 10 Peer Mentors for the rest of this year:

On Thursday 15th December, the Peer Mentors and pupils who attended the Tutor Trust had an additional rewards assembly where they received certificates and prizes for their efforts. Miss McGregor

On the KS4 English pages you will find a number of revision resources that will help you to prepare for your exams. You will find:

Practice papers for English Language

Revision card examples and templates for poetry, An

Inspector Calls, A Christmas Carol and Romeo and Juliet.

Revision PowerPoints for each poem.

Key quotations for all texts.

Help sheets for structuring responses.

Many other revision tools.

We are constantly adding and updating the pages so make sure you check regularly to see what is new. Mrs Ashdown

Name Form Name Form

Jenna Reilly A Hina Zaman F

Humyra Begum B Katelyn Smart F

Hira Zaman B Iqra Ahmed F

Ammaarah Rashid D Amber Ali G

Klea Spahiu E Sarah Malik G

Chantae Mclean E Zenab Saleem G

Ashleigh Joinson E Roisin Doherty A

Dhavinia Chauhan E Emily Stannage A

Lauren Davies E Kayleigh Brotherton-Wade

F Georgia Kerr E

English Gateway Pages - Fantastic Resources

He Was(n’t) A Flower To say he was a flower would be ludicrous beyond thought; he was so much more. He was the collision of rays which hit the surface and set the scene for his growth. He thought of himself as the dried up soil waiting to be disposed of but he, in fact, spread life to everything he saw and to everything he touched and to everything he was. His blooming radiance drew smiles on the faces of the passers-by and l couldn’t help but join in with them as we rejoiced in happiness. Seeing his eyes struck wonder; the way in which the greens fell through each other like

a collision of grass was the making of a supernatural force. Yet through the turbulence of the wind, he never drew his eyes away from everything, and his sturdy structure confirmed safety to those around him. He thought he was the soil beneath the ground; she thought he was a flower. I knew that he was the entire garden.

Anjali Joshi 11B

Written Voices - Pupil Work

Written Voices

Written Voices takes place in G18 every Wednesday between 2.45pm and 3.45pm with Mr Bennett. It is a writing workshop for all Year groups and abilities where we discuss topics and new techniques, write poetry, stories, plays and scripts.

Please see Mr Bennett for further details.

English Drop-In

For all Year 10 and Year 11 pupils, please come to S6 on Thursday lunchtimes to get help on any aspect of English. A member of the English Faculty will be available to help. Come and get support to improve classwork, complete EPs, complete homework and to help with revision for all parts of the course. Mrs Ashdown


Mr Hesketh’s Big Pledge

Recently we made the decision to introduce Pledges into school life. A

Pledge is a promise, or commitment, or an undertaking to improve, and can apply to any aspect of school or life in general. In school we have various different types of Pledges including Citizenship, Participation, Independence, Eco and Cultural. Completion of the Pledges results in recognition and reward. To coincide with our launch of Pledges, I decided to commit to my own Pledge. This was a lifetime ambition to undertake one of the most

famous and challenging walks in the world; the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru. This is a walk which combines beautiful mountain scenery, lush cloud-forest, subtropical jungle and, of course, a stunning mix of Inca paving stones, ruins and tunnels. I went with two friends from my school days, Stephen (a marathon runner) and Mark (a regular triathlete). I knew it was going to be tough; one to complete the walk; two to keep up with them! Tough physically and mentally. To prepare I spent time from January to July in training. I worked with a personal trainer three times a week, and once a week practised by doing a ten mile walk wearing my dreaded companion, my 10kg torture, sorry, training vest. Although this was very challenging, I knew it was what I had to do to complete the trek, and to stand a chance of keeping up with my old school friends. We left Heathrow airport in London on Sunday 31st of July at about 10pm. From there we travelled to Bogota in Columbia, from there to Lima in Peru, and from there to Cusco in Peru. All in all, the travelling took about 18 hours. On arrival in Cusco we were met by our rep who gave us many tips, the primary ones being related to altitude sickness. Medical experts reckon that altitude sickness is impossible to predict but symptoms can include headaches, fatigue, stomach illness, dizziness and sleep disturbance. Physical exertion, like long walks, does aggravate the symptoms. The primary causes are thought to be lack of oxygen and dehydration. In extreme cases it can result in serious illness, fatigue or even death. On arrival, we were certainly feeling the difference, but I think it is fair to say our conditions were significant but not extreme!!

On the Monday evening we met with our guide, Burly, who talked us through the trek and the equipment we were allowed (only 8kg) and expected to take. He explained how we would be picked up at 7am on Tuesday morning and we would be returning to our hotel in Cusco on Sunday evening. We were travelling to the start of the trail on Tuesday evening, where we would camp, and we would be starting the Trail on the Wednesday morning. Every night until Saturday would be spent camping. On Wednesday morning, we began the trek at about 7am. We had two international companions from America. Both were experienced marathon runners and trekkers. Their last trek was the Grand Canyon and now they were looking for something more challenging. At this stage my degree of trepidation increased significantly! The trek itself was hugely challenging but equally rewarding. Between Wednesday and Saturday we covered about 50 miles. Conditions were basic and extreme. Because we were at high altitude at night the temperature dropped to about minus ten degrees. During the daytime it was as hot as thirty degrees with the occasional torrential downpour of rain. Terrain was rough and tough. It was up and downhill all the way. At the peak it was about 4200 metres high. The highest peak in England is Scafell Pike (978m). The scenery was truly amazing. The Inca Trail, and Machu Picchu are massive tourist attractions in Peru. According to our guide, Machu Picchu is open 365 days a year. This puts pressure on the environment. Consequently, every walker on the Trail requires a pass, and we made sure the company we used to book our tour subscribed to a sustainable tourism charter which helps ensure, tourists, like us, could access an amazing place

while at the same time minimise, the threat and pressures on the environment. Machu Picchu was recognised in recent years as one of the new seven wonders of the world in a worldwide internet poll and it is easy to see why. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for the Inca Emperor Pachacuti (1438–1472). Often mistakenly referred to as the "Lost City of the Incas" it is the most familiar icon of Inca civilization. The Incas built the estate around 1450 but abandoned it a century later at the time of the Spanish Conquest. Although known locally, it was not known to the Spanish during the colonial period and remained unknown to the outside world until American historian Hiram Bingham brought it to international attention in 1911. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. It has been estimated that it attracts 400,000 visitors per year.

Above: Our team of trekkers, our guide, porters and chefs. Below: On

the Inca Trail

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

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

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

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

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


Mr Hesketh’s Big Pledge Cont.,

We arrived at Machu Picchu on Saturday afternoon. We then

returned for a full tour on the Sunday following a well-earned night in a hotel in a local town on Saturday night. Following the tour, we then caught a train back to Cusco on Sunday afternoon and I flew back to London on the Monday afternoon, eventually making it back to Manchester by Wednesday night. As part of my Pledge I committed to raising money for charity. Girls, staff, parents, the Fairfield Old Girls Association (FOGA), family and friends of Fairfield all gave very generously, both in time and money to the nominated causes. The causes we nominated were Breast Cancer Research, to provide educational opportunities for girls in less economically developed parts of the

world and a charity set up to help grant wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses, When You Wish Upon A Star. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the UK and worldwide. Poverty is sexist, and unlike at Fairfield, girls in other parts of the world do not get the opportunities they deserve. The last charity speaks for itself. We also donated £250 to a Fairfield Old Girl, Rebecca Barlow-Noone who has been volunteering in the Dominican Republic, helping educate children and adults about managing diabetes. In total we raised nearly £3,000. Thank you to everyone who contributed in every way. You really have helped to make a difference. So what lessons have been learnt from this experience? Well, recently in assembly I shared with the girls a concept called ‘The Iceberg Illusion’. This is all about having a growth mindset. On the launch of his recent film, Usain Bolt talked about what people see when he wins a gold medal; the race. What people don’t see is everything that goes into preparing for that race over years and years. Success in school is the same. Persistence, hard work and self-discipline, lesson by lesson, day by day, term by term, year by year all underpin

success. Girls who make the most of every opportunity are the ones that succeed in and beyond school. It can be all too easy to make excuses sometimes but to experience real personal development and to make ourselves continuously better we have to take ourselves out of our comfort zone and into the challenge zone. I am so pleased when I see so many girls doing that on a regular basis. Keep it up because your application really is making a difference. With the right level of preparation we are all capable of achieving things we might have thought we were not capable of doing. What is it that you would like to achieve in the future that you have not done yet? How will you do it? What is my next challenge you might be asking? Well, Mount Kilimanjaro and Basecamp Everest have been mentioned but there is nothing in the calendar yet. Not yet anyway…

Mr Hesketh Headteacher

Left: Presentation of money raised to Breast Cancer Research

Right: Presentation of money raised to When You Wish Upon A Star

Mr Hesketh at the highest point on the Trail

National Cipher Challenge

At Fairfield, we have been taking part in the National Cipher Challenge which is run

by the University of Southampton where a number of schools are competing against each other on codebreaking activities. This challenge is aimed to inspire pupils to extend their Mathematical learning and to give them an idea of some of the Mathematical ideas that are being used in everyday life. The competition will run up to the 4th January and the challenges have been set weekly every Thursday. Pupils can enter either individually or in teams and there are prizes available for winning entries. Below, Dhavinia Chauhan, gives her views on the competiton:

Every Thursday after school, three teams of Year 10 pupils meet to do the National Cipher Challenge. This is a national, online, Mathematics competition where pupils have to decrypt code to discover a message. The length of the code and type of code breaking varies each week. The first Cipher Challenge was tricky as we had to get our heads round the code, but as we progressed further the problems got harder and harder each week. However, most of us kept trying and succeeded to the next challenge. By doing this competition I have gained a wider knowledge on decrypting code and picked up new skills which will be valueable in the future. These after school sessions have inspired me to solve problems efficiently and effectively, which will help me in my future career in Computer Science.

Dhavinia Chauhan 10E


Student Leadership Award - Year 9

As part of our commitment to ensuring outstanding progress at Fairfield High School, on Thursday 29th September, Year 9 Able pupils

attended an assembly to launch the Student Leadership Award with Mrs Moore and Mrs Baker. As a school, we want pupils to have high expectations of what they can achieve and to understand that hard work and effort is needed to achieve excellence. With this in mind, the Student Leadership Award aims to recognise pupils’ leadership skills and the impact that they have in the classroom, across the school and in the wider community. The award itself provides valuable evidence of pupils’ all round achievements when planning their next steps for life after Fairfield, whether that’s applying for colleges, universities or jobs or simply establishing themselves as lifelong learners. The award has been developed through the identification of 10 key skills that young people need to be successful leaders, and grouped into three core themes: developing myself, contributing to my community, and working with others. Pupils assess themselves against a framework and actively seek opportunities to advance themselves and gather evidence to showcase their new skills in a smart portfolio. Ultimately, the award is designed to showcase all of the fantastic activities the girls are involved in, both within school and in the wider community and to encourage them to seek new opportunities. The Year 9 Able girls have been given their portfolio containing all of the necessary information to achieve accreditation. They are well underway to completing their first five key skills in time for our mid-year review session. This is to take place on Thursday 26th January 2017. We can’t wait to see their evidence. Good luck girls and keep working hard! Mrs Moore

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering And Maths)

STEM Club this term has all been about Christmas! We have had lots of fun preparing our Christmas Craft project which will be ready to take home in time for Christmas. The girls have been designing and making hand sewn felt tree decorations and handmade Christmas cards. They will also decorate a glass tea light holder, learn about batch production methods to make their own wrapping paper and gift tags before finishing off the term with our annual Christmas Party.

If you would like to have a go at making your own at home, there are lots of ideas on the ‘Little Bins for Little Hands’ website including a great idea for making a mini catapult to have a ‘snowball fight’ after your Christmas dinner!

http://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/christmas-stem-activity-simple-catapult-for-kids/

The club has continued to be as popular as ever. If you would like more information about joining STEM Club please contact Mrs Pearson directly in G38. WANTED!!!! We are looking to create a network with our Fairfield parents, carers and families. If you work within a STEM field and would like to get involved in supporting our STEM curriculum in school, please complete the slip below and return to Mrs Pearson at school (your daughter does not need to be a STEM Club member).

We are looking for anyone who works within a role where Science, Technology (including ICT), Engineering and Mathematics. This could be a doctor to an accountant, an architect to chef. It would be really fantastic if you would be willing to share your experiences and work with us to support our girls moving forward in to STEM careers in the future. No matter how little or much you think you can help it would be much appreciated.

Mrs Pearson

Reply slip - Please return to Mrs Pearson via school reception

Your name

Direct contact number/email ______

Parent / carer / relative of _______________________________________________ Form _______

Role / employer

What I could offer to the school:

I could provide a written statement about my career and pathways

I am happy to visit school to talk to a small group of pupils about my career

I am happy to visit school to talk to a year group about my career and pathways

I would like to get involved in a project in school based on my career

Other – Please give details __________________________________

http://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/christmas-stem-activity-simple-catapult-for-kids/


PE News

Six Year 9s have been selected to represent Fairfield as Tameside Sporting/Health Ambassadors. The Young Ambassador programme is a national scheme aiming to encourage young people to become involved as leaders and sporting role models, with the hope that they themselves will inspire others to become involved. Their role and responsibility within school will be to help increase participation, to promote the positive values of sport and to advocate the benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle.

Five of the group attended the launch and training event, which was held at New Charter Academy on 2nd November. Former Olympic gymnast and now TV/radio presenter, Craig Heap, gave a motivational speech and took one of the three training workshops.

Over the last half-term, we have continued to take part in the Tameside Football and Netball competitions, but have also entered Badminton and Indoor Rowing events, as well as the Tameside Cross Country and Swimming Championships. In the first half-term after Christmas, we will enter Tameside Table Tennis, Basketball, Volleyball and Sports Hall Athletics competitions.

Extra-Curricular PE

We have a full timetable of extra-curricular activities that take place most mornings, every lunchtime and each night. After Christmas, the timetable is likely to be as follows:

Badminton

Tameside Sporting Ambassadors

Indoor Rowing

Day 7.30-8.00pm Lunchtime 12.55-1.20pm After School 2.40- 4.00pm

Monday Breakfast Club Badminton Volleyball

(2.40-4.00/5.00pm) P6 Year 11 GCSE PE

Tuesday Breakfast Club Dance Dance with Nikki Kennedy (Dance studio)

Netball (Tameside Table Tennis competitions)

Wednesday Breakfast Club Sports Hall Activities

(competitions/challenges)

Basketball (Tameside Basketball + Volleyball

competitions)

Thursday Breakfast Club GCSE Coaching Volleyball (2.40-4.00/5.00pm)

Friday Volleyball Badminton

Trampolining

(L-R): Sienna Wellington, Holly Conway, Craig Heap, Mia Woods,

Macy Ramsey & Leah Garvey

Competition

Since the Tameside Indoor Rowing competition was introduced about seven years ago, Fairfield teams have dominated the events with them going on to represent Tameside at the Greater Manchester County Finals every year. I am pleased to say, that this year’s Year 7 and 8 and Year 9 and 10 teams won all their races and Fairfield will, once again, represent the borough at the Greater Manchester School Games in February.

(L-R): Ella Morrison, Roisin Doherty, Holly Bradshaw,

Ebonee Corcoran, Macy Ramsey, Macey Graham,

Afua Boateng and Evie Lawton

The KS4 Badminton team recently competed in a competition at St. Thomas More. They came 2nd and so went on to play in the Plate Final at Alder. They won the competition, beating New Charter Academy. The KS4 Badminton team is: Emma Johnson, Eleanor Law, Riya Mistry, Rhea Hackin and Elissia Taylor-Gaskin The KS3 Badminton team have now completed two rounds of the Tameside competition at St. Thomas More. It is great that so many girls are eager to represent Fairfield. This is a result of a large increase in pupils attending the Badminton Club on a Friday to develop their skills. Many pupils are new to the club this year after gaining an interest in playing from their PE lessons.


The Year 7 Football team played in the first of their three league games and made a promising start. On Thursday 13th October the U14 six-a-side team travelled to Wigan to represent Manchester City Football Club in the Schools Premier League Tournament as part of Women in Sport Week. Although the team did not bring back the trophy, they certainly played some commendable football and they all enjoyed the event. On Tuesday 22nd November, on what was a cold and blustery evening, the U14 nine-a-side squad travelled to Baines High School, Poulton-le-Fylde to again represent Manchester City Football Club in a Schools Premier League Fixture. Despite the poor weather conditions, the girls played some outstanding football and came away with an 8-2 win.

PE Competition News cont.,

Converse/canvas shoes are unacceptable for PE, for health and safety reasons. Thank you for your support with this matter.

PE Kit: There have been very few issues with PE kit in the first few weeks of term. Can parents/carers continue to ensure that

their daughters are fully equipped for all their PE lessons as it really does make a positive difference to learning and teaching. Several girls are asking if they can wear football/astro boots when their activities are outside on the grass, we strongly

encourage this.

If girls have a medical problem can parents/carers please continue to send in a letter with their daughter on the day. PE kit

should still be brought to school and worn, as they can join in certain activities if they do not aggravate the problem and they can also take on other roles within the lesson.

Miss Watson

Polite Reminder

Trials were held at Medlock to select a swimming team to represent Fairfield at the Tameside Schools Swimming Championships to be held in December. Seventeen girls competed in the heats at Copley on December 1st . The Fairfield Cross Country team has also been selected, and around 25 girls took part in the Tameside Championships at the East Cheshire Harriers club on 6th December. Results, photos and a report will be placed in the next newsletter.

Swimming and Cross Country

Dance

Dance is now on the curriculum across both Key Stage 3 and 4. Dance teacher Harriet Smith came into school to work

with a group of Year 8s in the new Dance Studio and they were taught an upbeat jazz dance using props. They all enjoyed the lesson and this dance is now being used as the basis for the Year 8 Dance scheme of work.

Trampolining

Trampolining is now in the curriculum across all Key Stages. At Key Stage 4 it has been implemented in both GCSE PE and during core PE lessons. Pupils are thoroughly enjoying developing their skills and, for many, trying a new activity.

Football

Year 7 team: Back row : Mia Nowell, Mia Rainey, Macy

Wilkinson. Front row: Ashleigh Bell, Isabel Harvey,

Lucy Johnson

Under 13 Football team (L-R): Jodie Tennant, Kaiya

Harris, Molly King, Madison Vernon, Nia Yates and Ellie

Madden

Back row L-R: Mia Knight, Mia Woods, Charly Highcock,

Macy Ramsey. Front row L-R: Abigail Kelly, Chloe Gilkison-Nottage, Molly Livesey, Katie

Atherton

Back row: Mia Knight, Ellie Madden, Maddison Vernon, Mia Woods, Jodie Tennant, Charly

Highcock, Macy Ramsey. Front row - Katie Atherton, Chloe Gilkison-

Nottage, Macy Brown, Abigail Kelly, Molly King

Above: Nicole-Leigh Locke in KS4 Core PE.

Curriculum


Being online is now part of everyday life, with children accessing the internet at home and at school through computers, phones and other devices.

If you would like to understand more about how to keep your child safe online, and get practical advice on how to better protect your child from online risks, then book your place at one of the free one hour long sessions running in libraries between November 2016 - February 2017.

Session 1

An introduction to the dangers of being online, with practical advice on how to keep your child safe, and where to go for

further support.

Session 2

A practical session with hands-on guidance for implementing parental guidance techniques.

Bring your own device (laptops, tablets and mobiles)

Participants must have attended Session 1 in order to book onto Session 2.

Sessions available from November 2016 - February 2017 at various libraries throughout Tameside.

Ring Tameside Libraries Information Service on 0161 342 2031 or visit Tameside.gov.uk/events/onlinesafety to book your free place.

Miss Mawdsley Assistant Headteacher

Online Safety for Parents and Carers

All of our new Year 7 pupils have once again been out of school during November to learn about the

history of our school. Along with their History teachers, Miss Ridehalgh, Mrs Smith and myself, they have been investigating the following questions:

Why was our school built in 1785?

Where does the Moravian Church come from and what are the main beliefs of the Moravians?

Where does our school emblem on our cardigans/jumpers come from?

Where was the old school building for the girls’ school?

Why was our school building previously the boys’ school? And many more…

Here are some interesting timeline facts for those of you who are curious to know more…

1752 First Moravian Chapel was opened in Dukinfield.

1783 Land bought in Droylsden to build Fairfield.

1785 Settlement at Fairfield is ready for occupation.

1796 Girls’ Boarding school opened.

1803 Boys’ Boarding School opens.

1891 Boys’ Boarding School closes.

1920 Local Authority takes responsibility for Fairfield High School for Girls.

We would like to say a special thank you, once again, to the Moravian Settlement Committee members for organising and providing the tours for all Year 7 Forms, and thank you also to the residents. Mrs Rasul Subject Co-ordinator, History Pupils in year 7 experienced a tour around the cobbled Moravian Settlement, during their first term at Fairfield High School for Girls as part of their History research. A local resident provided excellent and useful information for the pupils in the tour, including: before

Fairfield it was a boys boarding school and the burial ground is called Gods Acre.

We are learning about the Moravian Settlement as our school is situated in the middle of it. The Moravians built our school and have been part of our community for many years and is a part of our ethos. Our favourite parts of the tour were learning about the Moravian beliefs and going into the chapel.

Hannah Hodges, Holly Griffiths 7E

Year 7 Moravian Settlement Tours


I have been Director of Progress KS4 (Head of Upper School) since 2012. Prior to my present role I was Head of Year 7, with responsibility for Transition from KS2 to KS3. As a team our aim is to inspire and challenge pupils to attain the highest possible academic success as well as equipping them with the skills to communicate, to set themselves goals, work towards them and to interact successfully with others. We know we are very lucky; we get to work with amazing young people every day.

Although we work predominantly with KS4 girls; we see it as our responsibility to be involved with all pupils, whichever Key Stage they happen to be in, and we liaise very closely with Key Stage 3 pastoral staff. We monitor Form time and registration across Years 10 and 11 as well as being proactive in ensuring our school is a safe, happy and well–ordered place to be at lunchtimes and break.

We monitor progress across all subjects and ensure parents are kept informed if girls need help and support. Along with the Form Tutors, we are there to speak to about any

issues with which the girls may need help. Mrs Clough, Mrs Chaudhry and Miss Hannible have a range of counselling skills and can mentor girls on a one off basis or run a course of one to one sessions depending on need. We can also refer to outside agencies if this is the best course of action.

Please direct your daughter to us if you feel she could benefit. We are always happy to be contacted by parents either on the telephone or via email if you have any concerns or would like to discuss your daughter’s progress or well-being.

Mrs Marlow Director of Progress, Upper School

I joined Fairfield High School for Girls in April 2001 but was also a part of Fairfield in 1983 as I am a very proud ‘Old Girl’. Over the years, my role has changed slightly but the focus has always been on the academic and emotional wellbeing of pupils in Key Stage 4.

I run a variety of interventions within school such as anger management, anxiety and stress management, growth mind-set and

developing resilience. I thoroughly enjoy the ever changing nature of my role, as every day is different. It means a lot to me to be able to give back to the institution that shaped me into the woman I am today and to help all our girls realise their potential regardless of the barriers they may face.

Mrs Chaudhry Teaching Assistant/Key Stage 4 Learning Mentor

My roles at Fairfield are twofold. I was initially employed as the Attendance and Inclusion Manager which was a service previously provided by the Local Authority Education Welfare Department. When this service was no longer offered universally to schools, Fairfield decided to employ their own member of staff, and I joined the school in this capacity.

The role is primarily responsible for putting in place measures to ensure that all pupils have appropriate support to enable them to attend school punctually, every day. For pupils who are unable to do so, I work with key members of staff and external agencies in an attempt to maximise their attendance. If this is not possible, I am the liaison between school and the Local Authority for notifying any pupils not in education, in accordance with statutory requirements.

My second role is as a non-teaching Progress Coordinator for Year 10. This role covers aspects of monitoring pupil progress to enable pupils to obtain the best results possible; dealing with any pupil matters efficiently and effectively; and ensuring that all pupils have appropriate support to enable them to succeed. This role includes mentoring individual pupils and liaising with all teaching staff on any relevant issues.

I work closely with parents/carers on a daily basis to address many varied matters to ensure the very best outcomes for the girls.

Mrs Clough Progress Co-ordinator, Year 10

I joined Fairfield High School for Girls in November 2010 as Key Stage 4 Mentor. I currently carry out two roles, Key Stage 4 Learning Mentor and Progress Coordinator for Year 11.

The role of Progress Coordinator, covers all aspects of monitoring pupil progress to enable pupils to achieve and reach their potential. As a non-teaching Progress Coordinator, I am able to deal with any pupil matters efficiently and effectively.

In my role as Learning Mentor I carry out a number of interventions including academic mentoring, emotional health support, anxiety and stress management. I also refer to outside agencies for further professional support. I work with social care, health and youth services to signpost our pupils and families to the appropriate agencies for support.

Miss Hannible Progress Co-ordinator, Year 11

Spotlight On KS4 Progress Coordinator

Meet the Team

Above (L-R) Miss Hannible, Mrs Chaudhry, Mrs Marlow and Mrs Clough


Spotlight on KS4 Progress Coordinator cont.,

Fairfield Uniform

At Fairfield we are really proud of our uniform as it represents the school in such a positive way in the local community. Last week I was speaking to a Head Teacher from a Manchester school who turned out to be another Fairfield old girl. She asked me if girls still wore the green and blue shirts that they wore when she was here. Sometimes girls ask why we are so strict about our standards. I always explain that it is one of the values that underpin our ethos as a school. It sets the scene each day for the focus to be on learning and progress and it sets Fairfield girls apart for their smart appearance. Parents often say that it is one of the reasons they choose Fairfield for their daughters because it represents the proud history for which we stand. Part of my role in school is to ensure that the school uniform standards are maintained and I am really grateful to parents for the support they give us in making sure that girls wear their uniforms in accordance with the rules. If there are issues with uniform please contact Pastoral staff via the school office. Mrs Weston, who was Head of the English Faculty for many years and is now a school Governor, was a pupil at Fairfield from 1966-1973. Below she shares her memories of wearing her uniform.

Mrs Marlow Director of Progress, Upper School

When I first started at Fairfield, I came from a primary school that did not have a uniform so it was a real novelty for me. Unfortunately, my sister had also been a pupil at Fairfield so some of my uniform had to be handed down but most of it was brand new. I was so excited!

We wore a green blouse, the same colour as today, but these buttoned up to the neck as we had to wear a striped tie in the school colours. At first it took forever to learn how to put it on properly each day but before too long it became second nature and I didn’t even need to look in the mirror! I still have that tie after all this time; I must have got very attached to it!

Unlike today’s uniform we wore a plain navy skirt and a blazer. Blazers could be worn all year round but they weren’t waterproof so we also had a gabardine which was a bit like a mac. We had a school scarf to help keep the cold out and a beret with the school badge stitched on. It was compulsory to wear the beret when travelling to and from school and you could get put into detention by the prefects if you didn’t have it on. The problem was that the older girls would whip them off the heads of the first year girls and throw them, like a Frisbee, across the school field. You had to retrieve it or risk a detention but retrieving it meant missing the bus anyway! Catch 22! Needless to say, I don’t have that item of uniform to this day, it has long since disappeared. We had to wear Science overalls for all practical lessons in the lab. These were green cotton with a side tie. Functional but not fashionable!

In summer we could choose to wear cotton dresses. Fabrics were changed a few times during my time at Fairfield and there was always a range of colours but my personal favourite was a large checked pattern that came in green, blue or grey. Much more preferable to the flowery print that it was replaced by!

I loved being a Fairfield girl, even though we were called Fairfield Snobs when out on the streets in our distinctive uniform. I still think that today’s more modern version of the uniform that I wore looks really smart and would be proud to wear it once again - if I could turn back time!

Mrs H Weston

In November, Year 11 completed their mock exams. Many have been attending Period 6 and revising since we came back in September. Their results are not shared in lessons until a special assembly which is designed to create the atmosphere of results day in August has taken place.

The pupils watched the footage of last years’ girls opening their envelopes in August, before picking up their own mock results from their Form Tutor. The Hall was very tense as everybody opened them to see how they had done. The experience provided all the girls with the opportunity to reflect on the results they got, they then went with their Form Tutors to complete a reflection sheet on their thoughts and feelings about their results. This enabled them to set targets to ensure they maintain and improve their progress in the summer.

Year 11 acted in a mature manner and most really took the opportunity to think about what they want to achieve and how they can achieve it. We are all now keeping our focus on the examinations and how quickly they will come around.

Well done Year 11, and good luck for May and June.

Miss Hannible Progress Coordinator, Year 11

Year 11 Mock Results Assembly


Sample An Opening Chapter

Where Are They Now?

Some of you may remember me – I was Head Girl and left Fairfield in 2013. I wanted to send you a little note to let you know what I’ve been up to since leaving. I went on to study A-levels in English, Art and Geography at Audenshaw School Sixth Form; I loved all three of my subjects for different reasons and left with A grades – a privilege that meant I could then look at applying to any university. I didn’t think about Oxbridge until I started Sixth Form. I didn’t really know what it was about and had never considered applying. Early on in my first year, Audenshaw invited me and other pupils who had high grades at GCSE to a talk with an admissions tutor from Cambridge. At the end of the talk, I realised that my love for research, literature and art, and my constant drive to be productive, meant that Oxbridge was something to

consider. I then achieved four high A grades in my AS-levels and was offered a place to study English Language and Literature at St. Hilda’s College, Oxford. (Oxford has a collegiate system – the university is made up of around 30 colleges.) At this point I could write pages and pages about the application and interview process – I’ll save that for now but please do get in touch if you are interested in Oxbridge and want some guidance! My first year at Oxford was difficult to adjust to, both academically and socially. I was intimidated by many of the other students and the workload was unlike anything I had had to do before – my summer reading list included 24 novels, the complete works of 3 poets and 12 plays, not to mention the essay! In my first year I studied Old English Literature: 650ad - 1350ad (think: Beowulf), Victorian Literature: 1830-1910 (think: The Brontës, Thomas Hardy, Charles Dickens) and Modern Literature: 1910 - present day (think: Virginia Woolf, T.S. Eliot). The English course at Oxford typically entails two essays per week, two classes (seminars), around two or three lectures per day, and two tutorials. Most universities structure their degrees like this however, the main difference with Oxbridge is the tutorial system. A tutorial or ‘tute’ is an hour long session with your tutor and usually one other student where you discuss your essay ideas. Tutors encourage you to think deeper or from different angles. Although scary, even after a year of practice, the tutorial system has allowed me to make scholarly progress and take risks that I otherwise may not have challenged. Outside of my degree I write for the Oxford Fashion Society blog and run the social media accounts for St. Hilda’s Feminist Salon – a program that invites inspiring women to talk at St. Hilda’s, a college that was started by women, for women, in 1893 (and feels very much like Fairfield at times). This year I have also been elected as the Ball President for my college – most Oxford colleges have a black or white tie event in May, and I have a Committee of 12 people to help me put on a memorable night. It is important to play hard when you work so hard! Outside of college life, Oxford has many student theatre productions, punts, Harry Potter-esque libraries and a few so-bad-they’re-good clubs. I have now completed my first year at Oxford and am currently on a Work Experience Placement at Condé Nast in London - the company that publishes Vogue, Vanity Fair, Glamour and GQ amongst others. This is a fortnight of unpaid work before I begin my second year in October. For a while I have been interested in fashion editorials so this has been a great opportunity to see how it all works. Outside of fashion I’m passionate about the education of girls in less economically developed countries (LEDCs) and hope one day to use the outstanding education I’ve received to help girls who don’t get the same opportunities. Although I can fill you in about my specific pathway, I would really like to emphasise that the point in all this is to show you that hard work and ambition really does work – I live in Audenshaw just like a lot of you. You will meet people, who may have come from a more ‘privileged’ background, but have faith in your Fairfield education and the independence it subconsciously forces you to develop! This is all you need for future steps. And cups of tea. And friends. With very best wishes. Holly Beddingfield (If you would like to email Holly please contact reception for her email address)

S5 Reading Corner

Do you have books at home that you have read a thousand times? Are you looking for something new? Why not bring your old book along to S5? Miss Dey is currently running a Book Swap programme that allows you to trade in your old book for a different one on a temporary basis. All you need to do is bring along your book and write down your details on a sign-up sheet (this will ensure that your book is returned to you).

Miss Dey

Unsure about which book to read? Why not sample an opening chapter? In each English classroom the opening pages of classic books are prominently displayed for you to peruse. Try one out and ask your teacher or Mrs Mutter about availability in the Library.

Mrs Plant

tel:650-1350


Approved holiday list 2017-18

TRADITION VISION LEARNING

Important information regarding attendance

The attendance target for each pupil at Fairfield High School for Girls is 97.0%.

Please find below important information from the Local Authority that we are required to share with all parents concerning absence from Fairfield High School for Girls. It is for information only and outlines the actions that could be taken against parents/carers regarding attendance.

Penalty Notices for Non-School Attendance Section 444(A) of the Education Act 1996 empowers the Local Authority to issue Penalty Notices in cases of unauthorised absence from school. This means that when a pupil has unauthorised absence of 10 sessions (5 days) or more in any term (where no acceptable reason has been given for the absence) or if their child persistently arrives late for school after

the close of registration, their parents or carers may receive a Penalty Notice fine of £60 if paid within 21 days, rising to £120 if paid within 28 days. The Penalty Notice will need to be paid in full before 28 days of the notice being served. Failure to pay a Penalty Notice may result in prosecution.

In law, an offence occurs if a parent or carer fails to secure a child’s regular attendance at school. Tameside Education Welfare Service, in conjunction with schools and Greater Manchester Police, will use these powers as an early deterrent to prevent patterns of unauthorised absence developing.

Parents may also receive a Penalty Notice without a warning letter for the offence of failing to secure regular school attendance for the following reasons:

If their child is stopped on a truancy sweep more than

once

If they go on holiday in term time without the school’s

permission or are late returning from an extended holiday

If they have not co-operated with the Education Welfare

Service following a referral from school after they have taken steps to address the absences with the parent/carer and pupil

If their child fails to return to school following a fixed term

exclusion

The Education and Inspections Act 2006 also makes it an offence if a parent fails to ensure that their child is not in a public place during the first 5 days of a fixed term or permanent exclusion. Penalty Notices may be issued in relation to this matter. The Local Authority and schools are committed to providing the best possible future for your child. If you have concerns about your child’s attendance at school or if you are experiencing any difficulties, contact school and ask for help. Support is also available from the Education Welfare Service at the Council Offices. Absences before or after a designated School Holiday In order to authorise any school absences before or after a designated School Holiday, school will require sight of medical evidence such as an appointment card, prescription or medication.

Approved holiday list 2016-17

Spring Term 2017 Tuesday 3rd January Term begins Friday 17th February Break up for Half-term

Monday 20th February to Friday 24th February - Half-term Holiday

Monday 27th February Term begins Friday 31st March End of Term

Monday 3rd April to Thursday 13th April - End of Term Holiday

Friday 14th April Good Friday Monday 17th April Easter Monday

Summer Term 2017 Tuesday 18th April Term begins

Monday 1st May Bank Holiday Thursday 25th May End of Half-term

Friday 26th May to Friday 2nd June - Half-term Holiday

Monday 5th June Term begins Friday 21st July End of Term

Autumn Term 2017 Monday 4th September Staff Training Day (1) Tuesday 5th September Staff Training Day (2) Wednesday 6th September Term begins Thursday 26th October Break up for Half-term

Friday 27th October Staff Training Day (3)

Monday 30th October to Friday 3rd November - Half-term Holiday

Monday 6th November Term begins Wednesday 20th December End of Term Thursday 21st December Staff Training Day (4)

Friday 22nd December to Tuesday 2nd January - End of Term Holiday

Spring Term 2018 Wednesday 3rd January Term begins Friday 16th February Break up for Half-term

Monday 19th February to Friday 23rd February - Half-term Holiday

Monday 26th February Term begins Thursday 29th March End of Term

Friday 30th March to Friday 13th April - End of Term Holiday

Summer Term 2018 Monday 16th April Term begins Monday 7th May Bank Holiday Friday 25th May End of Half-term

Monday 28th May to Friday 1st June - Half-term Holiday

Monday 4th June Term begins Thursday 19th July End of Term

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