NATIONAL ENTERPRISE CHALLENGE PAGE 5

NEW STUDENT LEADERSHIP TEAM PAGE 5

STUDENT LEADERSHIP TEAM FOR 2019-2020!

New partnership for IMMERSIVE CULTURE AND EDUCATION EXPERIENCES

C MPASSNEWSLETTER

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEW

The Ellesmere Port Church of England College

IN THIS ISSUE:

SEPT & OCT EDITION 2019

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STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE COLLEGE:

Tue 22 October Yr 10 Sports in Education TripFri 25 October Close for Half TermMon 4 Nov Pupils ReturnMon 4 Nov Elevate: Time Management (Yr 10 & 11)Wed 6 Nov Sixth Form Information EveningWed 6 Nov Horrible Histories @ The StoryhouseMon 11 Nov Anti-Bullying WeekWed 13 Nov World Kindness DayFri 15 Nov Yr 7 & 10 Review DayMon 18 Nov Road Safety WeekTue 19 Nov Yr 9 & 12 Industry Day

WELCOME FROM THE COLLEGE PRINCIPAL

ASPIRE NOT TO HAVE MORE BUT TO BE MORE

KEY DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Principal Twitter:@CathGreenTEPCEC

Social Media:Twitter.com/TEPCECofficialFacebook.com/TEPCECofficial

College Address:164 Whitby Road, Ellesmere PortCheshire CH65 6EA

Contact Details:Tel: 0151 350 6000 Fax: 0151 357 3701Email: info@tepcec.comWebsite: www.tepcec.com

The new school year has started so well. Firstly, it was fantastic to see our children in their new uniforms. We have received many positive comments from parents and the local community and I could not be more proud. Within the college we have welcomed new staff who have brought with them a wealth of outstanding experience and practice. This combined with the amazing teachers we already have is impacting positively on the progress of our students. As this edition of our newsletter shows, we are about developing the whole child and ensuring that everyone has experiences that no other school provides. We are proud of our curriculum and our relentless focus on every child having the opportunity to “BE MORE”.

NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR

IMMERSIVE CULTURE AND EDUCATION EXPERIENCES AT TEPCEC

Wednesday 16 October marked the start of a new journey for staff and pupils at the Ellesmere Port Church of England College (TEPCEC) and The Qingdao Middle School No. 32 in China. A new partnership between the two schools will immerse students, first hand, into international culture and will pioneer a bold and visionary approach to immersive learning, building strong, lasting sister-school links between both schools. The new partnership will prepare our students for the culture of tomorrow. It will provide a once in a lifetime

opportunity to develop the social, moral, spiritual and cultural strengths that will allow our students to succeed in education, work and society. Working with True Education Partnerships, the programme will teach valuable life skills such as leadership, maturity and independence. It will encourage personal development, including students having the opportunity to learn Chinese and have life changing experiences. Miss Donnelly, a Teacher at the College, had the opportunity to visit the sister-school this week

where a declaration of friendship was signed between the two schools. During the visit, Miss Donnelly encountered the different styles of teaching, and experienced the Chinese culture first hand. Miss Donnelly said: “This experience has been phenomenal. When the students come and visit The Qingdao Middle School No. 32, they will get a real flavour of the Chinese culture and will learn lots of new things as well as making some unforgettable memories.” She added: “Many of the school’s values are exactly the same as those at TEPCEC. China has so much to offer to our

children and it’s going to be an experience of a lifetime for them. The culture is like nothing our students will have experienced before.”

Mrs Cath Green, Principal at the College said: As part of our cultural capital we want all students to have a range of experiences so that they are confident and knowledgeable young adults when they leave TEPCEC. Our partnership with Qingdao Middle School No 32 will allow our students to visit China and more importantly allow all of our school community to make links with the school when they visit here. This is the first step in developing very strong and ambitious cultural links here at the College.

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YOU’RE HIRED!

NATIONAL FINALS CALLING FOR YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS FROM TEPCEC

A group of budding young entrepreneurs from The Ellesmere Port Church of England College (TEPCEC) are celebrating after successfully reaching the finals with the National Enterprise Challenge.

The success comes after a group of facilitators from

the National Enterprise Challenge visited the school earlier this month to run a series of workshops and activities encouraging Year 7 & 8 students to come up with business ideas that focus on sustainability and recycling. They then pitched these ideas to facilitators in a process not to dissimilar

to those seen on Dragons Den or The Apprentice.

One group of six students, Lillie, Jacinta, Sid, Jade, Olivia and Ian, impressed the facilitators so much that they have now been asked to go and represent the school at the organisation’s national finals.

Mrs Vikkie Waites, Assistant Principal at the College said: “We are incredibly proud of these students. Not only did they come up with some brilliant and innovative ideas, they really impressed the facilitators with their passion and determination to work successfully in a team.

“That is, to be honest, the real essence of why we engage in initiatives like this. Aside from giving the students the opportunity to

think outside of the box, they also allow them to develop the skills required for the world of work; including teamwork, communication and leadership.”

The group will now start their preparations for the prestigious National Finals that will be held next year.

Lillie said: “Getting involved in this has been fantastic. It has given us an opportunity to work together as a team and really challenge ourselves to come up with ideas that we think have the potentially to really help people.

“I was really shocked that the facilitators liked our ideas and approach the most. Now the hard work really begins!”

MEET THE NEW STUDENT LEADERSHIP TEAM

At the College, Student voice is extremely important to us. Each year, twelve students from across Years 7-13 are elected onto the Student Leadership Team. These students put themselves forward for this role and go through an application process to join the team. Students elected attend regular meetings, both together as a team, and the Head Boy

and Head Girl will regularly meet with the Senior Leadership Team to discuss any issues and proposed changes.

The Student Leadership Team plays an active role in key events at the College such as Open Evening and Parent Information Evenings. Students are not only involved with these events but also play an important part in College life including panel interviews and tours of the school. The role of the Ambassadors is to lead key functions and run the College Council focusing on transitions, fundraising and promoting our Be More values.

Mrs Vikkie Waites, Assistant Principal at the College said: “All students have shown today the passion and determination you need to work successfully in a team. Their fantastic ideas have enabled them to produce highly successful pitches, particularly those of the winning team. This new way of learning has allowed for growth outside of the planned curriculum, reflecting our desire for all students to understand what it means to ‘be more’ and develop in confidence. We wish the winning team the best of luck in the National finals.”.

The Ellesmere Port Church of England College (TEPCEC) students have raised the bar by securing an impressive set of GCSE results.

The College, which became part of the Frank Field Education Trust in December 2018 is celebrating the fact that across every measure there has been a notable improvement in GCSE outcomes.

Rt. Hon. Frank Field MP, Chair of the Frank Field Education Trust, said: “In less than two terms, our multi-academy trust sees its first school in full flight and us delivering on our promises to the community. We have already bucked the national trend by seeing an increase in the proportion of our A Level students achieving the top grades; and our GCSE results show a very significant improvement on last year.

“Both the A Level and GCSE results show what can be achieved by setting the highest of standards. Historically, the standards at this school have been appalling, but we are making it a place that is a pathway of success for our students’ futures.”

Among the students celebrating is Eloise Bradbury who achieved an impressive Grade 9 in English Literature. Harry Christian achieved 10 GCSEs at Grade 7 or above, including a Grade 8 in Chemistry and Geography as well as a Distinction* in Business Studies.

Other top performers included Matthew Barlow who achieved a Grade 9 in both English Literature and English Language and Caitlin Henderson who achieved a Grade 8 in Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Tamarka Hudakova secured a Grade 8 in RS and Spanish, while Scarlett Pealing also achieved Grade 7 or above in eight of her GCSE subjects.

Cath Green, Principal at TEPCEC, said: “These results are testament to the relentless hard work of our students and staff. It is wonderful to see how far our school community has come within only a few months and I am incredibly proud of all that has been achieved.

“What is exciting is where our school goes from here. We are welcoming some fantastic new staff to enhance our teaching further. The new Be More curriculum will increase the opportunities on offer and we will continue to strengthen links to our community.

“The future is very bright for this college and our students!”

ELLESMERE PORT COLLEGE CELEBRATES

IMPRESSIVE GCSE RESULTS

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A NEW

ADVENTURE AWAITS...THREE DAY RESIDENTIAL

The three-day residential course at Cholmondeley Castle acts as a fantastic step towards the development of leadership skills, demanding resourcefulness, decision-making and practical thinking from students.

Each day will be made up of a range of hands-on workshops, offering a chance to really get to grips with life in the outdoors and provide a unique environment in which to learn and interact.

The Year 7 Residential Experience will run from 13-15 July 2020.

The Experience will aim to generate and contribute to a sense of team identity and develop a greater understanding of the natural British landscape. Students will receive an Introduction into Camp Life, take part in Fire Workshops, Wilderness Cookery, Crafts, Shelter Building, Evening Games, First Aid in the Wilderness, Camouflage, Cutting Tools, SOS, Trap Making and Bush-Craft.

This experience is structured so that activities alternate between group discussions and practical elements, putting the skills taught into immediate use. Time spent living in the wild offers a fantastic opportunity for students to interact, away from the distractions of everyday school life, taking them out of their comfort zones and encouraging both independence and teamwork.

The residential experience costs £160 per pupil. We will provide all of the food for the course and all of our meals are cooked from fresh, exciting ingredients. The menu will vary depending on the season and the length of the course, and we pride ourselves on being able to cater for all dietary requirements.

ASPIRE NOT TO HAVE MORE BUT TO BE MORE

On 10 September 2019, Year 7 students were invited to attend a welcome service in their honour at St Thomas’ Church to officially welcome our new students.

The event marked the start of a new and exciting journey for our students at the College. Students were joined by their Form Tutors and the service was led by the Canon Rev Gordon McGuinness on the theme of ‘TEPCEC’s Got Talent’. The students and staff prayed and sang with great enthusiasm. The Principal, Mrs Green welcomed the pupils and led the College Prayer.

Mr Anderson, Chaplain at The Ellesmere Port Church of England College led prayers on behalf of the new Year 7 students. Mr Anderson said: “It was a unique opportunity to welcome our Year 7 cohort to The Ellesmere Port Church of England College and for our newest students to garner a sense of belonging.”

Olivier Olzewski from 7VTH said: “It was really great to be welcomed and feel part of the College community!”

YEAR 7 STUDENTS MARK THE

BEGINNING OF A NEW AND EXCITING JOURNEY

STUDY SENSI PROGRAMME WITH ELEVATE EDUCATION

Years 10-11 students recently participated in the ‘Study Sensi Programme’ by Elevate Education which examines techniques of top performing students and provides a ‘road map’ for the work they need to be doing across the year.

The College is working with Elevate Education to provide an excellent package of study support to enable your child to be as successful as they can as they commence their GCSE studies. A series of workshops and structured follow-up sessions during Academic Review will enable pupils to manage their study time and ensure they are fully prepared for their examinations in Year 11.

99% of Year 11 students said they would recommend the session. 100% of Year 11 students thought it was time well spent. Elevate also ran a Parent Workshop to support parents in preparation for their child’s summer exams.

QUACK! TEPCEC ENTERS THE ANNUAL CHESTER DUCK RACE

On 21 September, The Ellesmere Port C of E College took part in the Chester Duck Race that takes place every year and is hosted by the Countess of Chester Hospital to support the Baby Grow Appeal.

Local businesses adopted a rubber duck, designed it, and sent it out to race against thousands of other ducks on the River Dee in Chester.

So far the Chester duck events have raised more than £125,000 for the Countess of Chester Hospital. This year, the money raised will go towards new vital signs machines which allow clinical staff to take vital blood pressure and temperature readings alerting them to key changes in patients, such as early signs of sepsis.

Each machine costs £2,500 and the hospital charity aims to buy eight from the proceeds of this year’s Duck Race.

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STUDENTS CELEBRATE A-LEVEL SUCCESS

Sixth Form students at The Ellesmere Port Church of England College (TEPCEC) were celebrating this Summer after receiving their Key Stage 5 results.

The school, which in December 2018 became part of the Frank Field Education Trust, praised students for their hard work, efforts and achievements.

Cath Green, Principal at TEPCEC, said: “Many congratulations to our students who have worked incredibly hard in order to achieve their results today. There have been some outstanding individual achievements.

“I am also pleased that this year we have seen improvements across a range of areas. Nearly a quarter of all grades achieved were an A*, A or equivalent, there has been a marked increase in the percentage of students achieving top grades across their A level subjects and we are also celebrating a 100% pass rate in subjects from Physics and Applied Science to Business Studies, Health and Social Care and Travel and Tourism.

“All in all, there is so much for us to be proud of”

Among the students celebrating was Josh Nolan who achieved A in Maths, A in Physics and C in Chemistry and has secured a place reading Physics at the University of Lancaster.

Josh said: “Over the last few years, I have been given all of the help and support needed to achieve

my goals. I am extremely thankful to everyone at the College and I cannot wait to start the next chapter in my education.”

Abby O’ Regan gained Distinction* in Business and Distinction* in Travel and Tourism in order to confirm her place at the University of Chester to study Accountancy. She said: “The school has supported me tremendously throughout my journey, which has allowed me to achieve a place at my first choice university and start the next chapter of my life.”

While Demi-Eck Shone will now go on to complete Cabin Crew training after achieving Distinction* in Travel and Tourism and Merits in Health and Social Care and Performing Arts. Demi said: “I am very grateful for the opportunities the school has given me and to everyone who has been involved with my success. I am now looking forward to starting my career as Cabin Crew at Ryanair”

Mrs Green continued: “It is wonderful to see that our young people have been inspired to Be More, which is at the heart of our ethos at TEPCEC.

“Many of our students will now go on to study at some of the country’s top universities, while others are taking exciting routes on to higher apprenticeships and employment. This not only puts them in an excellent position for their futures, but they are also setting the way for the students that follow them through our school’s community.”