floyd footnotes - issue 23

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Issue 23 | April 2016 Floyd Footnotes Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School www.sirhenryfloyd.bucks.sch.uk Wilkins Solicitors LLP - for legal advice that is friendly and professional Can we help you? - Call us on 01296 424681 We cover a range of legal issue from property, wills and trust to family, employment, accident claims and other court matters. Our highly experienced principals ensure skill and expertise in all the areas we cover, and they are well-supported by a team of junior colleagues, enabling us to provide a professional but cost-effective service to our clients. Serving Buckinghamshire for over 100 years First Floor, Lincoln House, 6 Church Street, Aylesbury HP20 2QS Email: [email protected] www.wilkinssolicitors.co.uk LLP We are still enjoying celebrating last term’s “Outstanding” Ofsted report. Two inspectors arrived in January and spent a day looking at the school to determine whether the school’s former grading of “good” was still appropriate. They quickly decided that the school could well be better than that and a full team of eight inspectors arrived the next day! They confirmed that the school is now outstanding – something that staff, parents and students had known for some time! None of us have any experience of this type of inspection so it was interesting to see how the inspection developed. In our self-evaluation we graded ourselves as outstanding so we were confident of a really good outcome. I have been a Headteacher for 15 years altogether and have been through six Ofsted inspections and this is the first time that I have completed a self-evaluation that rated the school as outstanding overall. From the start the inspectors were challenging us to show evidence that supported our claims. As can be seen from the report they were impressed by the quality of leadership given by the Governing Body. They were also impressed with the quality of our middle leaders. Students spoke passionately to inspectors about their experiences. The report quotes one as saying “This is the best place in the world”. Parents were also very positive, with one quoted stating “Whilst there is a rigorous focus on academic excellence, a lot of effort is also put into the emotional well-being of children. I have a happy child which is a big testament to the school.” The Ofsted team judged that students achieve highly and acknowledged that the 2015 exam results in the International Baccalaureate Diploma, A levels and GCSEs were the best ever. They said that students have the self-motivation to try hard, and learn voraciously. Inspectors also said that the school provides an outstanding education because all staff are dedicated to instilling the school’s values at every opportunity. The inspection grade is a recognition of the fact that our students are fortunate to be educated by a very talented and hardworking group of professionals. We were very impressed with the intelligence, perception and wisdom of the team. In a very short period of time they gained a very thorough understanding of what matters to us and what is working well here. We were delighted with their final judgement especially as we know how rigorously they had collected and tested evidence. Their final inspection activity was for each member of the team to speak to groups of eight to ten students that had been chosen at random. When the inspectors returned to their base they were all swapping quotations from students about how good they think their school is! That was a lovely way to end the inspection. I have been particularly pleased to look back at our history of school inspections. In 2003 we had a large Local Authority inspection (led by me in a former role!) that judged that the quality of teaching was between good and satisfactory, with 10% of teaching inadequate and 50% good. In 2004 Ofsted decided the school was satisfactory (Requires Improvement in today’s language). It’s Official – We are an Outstanding School

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Page 1: Floyd Footnotes - Issue 23

Issue 23 | April 2016

Floyd FootnotesSir Henry Floyd Grammar School

www.sirhenryfloyd.bucks.sch.uk

Wilkins Solicitors LLP - for legal advice that is friendly and professionalCan we help you? - Call us on 01296 424681

We cover a range of legal issue from property, wills and trust to family, employment,

accident claims and other court matters.

Our highly experienced principals ensure skill and expertise in all the areas we cover, and they are well-supported by

a team of junior colleagues, enabling us to provide a professional but cost-effective service to our clients.

Serving Buckinghamshire for over 100 yearsFirst Floor, Lincoln House, 6 Church Street,

Aylesbury HP20 2QS

Email: [email protected]

LLP

We are still enjoying celebrating last term’s “Outstanding” Ofsted report. Two inspectors arrived in January and spent a day looking at the school to determine whether the school’s former grading of “good” was still appropriate. They quickly decided that the school could well be better than that and a full team of eight inspectors arrived the next day! They confirmed that the school is now outstanding – something that staff, parents and students had known for some time!

None of us have any experience of this type of inspection so it was interesting to see how the inspection developed. In our self-evaluation we graded ourselves as outstanding so we were confident of a really good outcome. I have been a Headteacher for 15 years altogether and have been through six Ofsted inspections and this is the first time that I have completed a

self-evaluation that rated the school as outstanding overall. From the start the inspectors were challenging us to show evidence that supported our claims. As can be seen from the report they were impressed by the quality of leadership given by the Governing Body. They were also impressed with the quality of our middle leaders.

Students spoke passionately to inspectors about their experiences. The report quotes one as saying “This is the best place in the world”. Parents were also very positive, with one quoted stating “Whilst there is a rigorous focus on academic excellence, a lot of effort is also put into the emotional well-being of children. I have a happy child which is a big testament to the school.”

The Ofsted team judged that students achieve highly and acknowledged that the 2015 exam results in the International Baccalaureate Diploma, A levels and GCSEs were the best ever. They said that students have the self-motivation to try hard, and learn voraciously.

Inspectors also said that the school provides an outstanding education because all staff are dedicated to instilling the school’s values at every opportunity. The inspection grade is a recognition of the fact that our students are fortunate to be educated by a very

talented and hardworking group of professionals.

We were very impressed with the intelligence, perception and wisdom of the team. In a very short period of time they gained a very thorough understanding of what matters to us and what is working well here. We were delighted with their final judgement especially as we know how rigorously they had collected and tested evidence.

Their final inspection activity was for each member of the team to speak to groups of eight to ten students that had been chosen at random. When the inspectors returned to their base they were all swapping quotations from students about how good they think their school is! That was a lovely way to end the inspection.

I have been particularly pleased to look back at our history of school inspections.

• In 2003 we had a large Local Authority inspection (led by me in a former role!) that judged that the quality of teaching was between good and satisfactory, with 10% of teaching inadequate and 50% good.

• In 2004 Ofsted decided the school was satisfactory (Requires Improvement in today’s language).

It’s Official – We are an

Outstanding School

Page 2: Floyd Footnotes - Issue 23

• The 2008 inspection graded the schools as good with an outstanding rating for personal development.

• In 2011 we were again good, but no more securely so – with achievement and behaviour outstanding.

• And now in 2016 we were judged to be outstanding in every area.

That is impressively consistent progress.

Outstanding is not the same as perfect so our improvement journey will continue!

The inspectors asked the school to make more use of the talents of our subject leaders and to address the promotion of British values more formally. They also challenged us to become even more ambitious for our students and to work on moving from “outstanding” to “world class”. We are going to take up their challenge. As I have said many times, we as staff are so privileged to work with so many talented, cooperative and well-motivated students. They deserve the very best. We are committed to making sure that they get it!

Stephen Box, Headteacher

In March, 40 students from Year 10 gathered in the five o’clock darkness of Luton airport. Wiping sleep from our eyes, we passed through the fluorescent flow of security and boarded the plane. After a short flight, we arrived in Berlin and took a coach to the centre of Germany’s capital city. This drive introduced us to a city full of life and interest; around every corner was a piece of architecture that fascinated, a sculpture that intrigued or a painting that provoked.

We got out of the coach and there our tour guides greeted us. The historical section now began with a description of the German government’s changes throughout history, in front of the Reichstag building. The fact that we were actually in the city helped to make the facts discussed very understandable. It was so easy to picture the events taking place as we were surrounded by the perfect background. The tour guide spoke with enthusiasm and clarity so we never felt lost or confused. I also really liked how he pointed out the similarities in history with current affairs as it made facts feel relatable and also even more poignant.

The second part of the day was spent discussing and viewing other historical landmarks. From the Holocaust memorials to the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie to the Berlin Wall, each site brought up new stories and helped us to further understand things we had learned in the classroom. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe was a fascinating place to visit as it was very emotive. There were no plaques or names so you became intrigued at where you were and you were forced to find out the information for yourself. This gave you the opportunity to come up with your own opinion so people feel more obliged to listen as ideas are not being forced upon them. After exploring all these places we walked through the city to the hostel for the night.

The next morning we continued our journey around the city. Firstly, we visited the East Side Gallery. This is a section of the Berlin Wall along the river Spree where a number of different artists had painted pictures representing freedom or imprisonment. Walking along you really got a sense of the lasting effects of the Berlin Wall and how its presence is still felt today. The wall overall was particularly interesting as the stories told were ones of normal people’s lives, so we really saw the devastating effect it had on a more personal level.

Later in the day we visited the Stasi prison. This was where enemies of the East German government were held before they faced trial. Our tour guide explained the events that took place well, clearly outlining the brutality of the regime. The prison had a very deserted feel as if it had just been frozen in time. Inside you felt cut off from the outside world and this feeling helped you to sympathise with those who were actually imprisoned. The experience in the prison summed up the general feeling of people in East Germany, many were afraid and felt trapped even in their own homes.

Following the intense tour of the prison, we were allowed some free time to walk around the city and then we had to get a coach back to the airport. The trip overall was very good. It put many of the facts we had learnt in class into perspective, adding a more personal feeling to ideas that previously felt distant and unrelated to our lives. Berlin showed us the more everyday side to the Cold War and how it affected normal citizens. We all now have a much more rounded view of the events, which is not only useful for our exams but also for our perspective of history as a whole.

Gabriel Blackwell, 10H

Der Kalte Krieg

Page 3: Floyd Footnotes - Issue 23

New ways of running schools – Should we take a lead?In his budget speech the Chancellor announced what we have known for some time. The government would like all schools to be academies and expects academies to work together in clusters of schools that are joined by virtue of them all being part of the same “Trust”. These clusters are known as Multi Academy Trusts.

Our Governing Body passed a resolution at their March meeting proposing that we should take a lead in establishing a Multi Academy Trust and begin conversations with some other schools in the area to judge the level of local interest in this new style of working. We are hoping to find some schools with similar values who can see benefits in working collectively under a common governance structure. We have in our mind a model where five or six schools commit themselves to caring (almost) as much about how well the other schools in the Trust do as they do about their own school.

I have heard a senior civil servant talk about the government’s ambition to redefine what a school unit actually is. They hope to be dealing with a number of Multi Academy Trusts rather than with individual academies and will increasingly see these Trusts as their basic school unit. I used to lead a school improvement service for a London borough with responsibility for standards in ninety schools. If I am honest I rarely lost any sleep over how well any of those schools were doing. We are looking to build a set of relationships where we all lose sleep over how well every school in the Trust is doing.

Alongside that collective commitment to support each other will be some limited economies of scale from combining some of our administrative functions such as finance, HR and contract management. To misquote an advertising slogan we aim to become “big enough to have some economies of scale but small enough to care!”

We have put some Frequently Asked Questions about Multi Academy Trusts on our website and are inviting comments and opinions over the period leading up to half term. We are interested in your views.

Funding is getting tighter – Can we manage?The government has also published plans for a reform of school funding. At the moment each Local Authority is given a grant from central government that funds most of the education of schools and academies in the area that the authority administers. These grants vary greatly across the country and there is also a great deal of variety over the processes that local authorities use to distribute the money to schools. The consequence of these politicians’ decisions is that there are fewer than thirty secondary schools in the whole country who have less to spend on each student than we do.

We have known for some time that the government has been planning to introduce a National Funding Formula for schools, designed to level out the money given to schools across the country. This decision was confirmed in the budget and a consultation process has begun. It will take a number of years for the effects of such a policy change to work its way through the system but we should see some benefits once the changes are fully implemented.

In the meantime we have reached a point where we are finding it difficult to provide an outstanding education within our current funding levels. We believe that we operate very efficiently and we do manage our budget carefully but year on year we are finding that the money we are given has stayed absolutely flat and it has to go further. One example of an extra complication is that the government has changed the way that public sector employers pay National Insurance. This year our funding has not increased but we will have to pay an extra 3% of our salary bill back to the government in increased employer’s contributions. People who understand these things better than me estimate that our funding has seen a cut of about 10% in real terms over the past four years.

We are surviving but are looking forward to the national formula!

Fundraising – Can you help?Parents may have noticed that many other schools in the area having been running ambitious fundraising campaigns in recent years. We have resisted such activities and have been content with the occasional donations given by parents in response to a single letter sent out at the start of Year 7 and the dedication of our Parents’ Society committee. We do appreciate that many families are going through difficult times but we are now appealing for some extra financial support from those who are able to contribute more towards their children’s education.

We have launched a fundraising campaign, Investing In The Future to help to improve what we can offer. We are hoping to be able to continue our programme of modernising our science labs, upgrading our IT facilities and funding a loan to support a new building. Full details on the campaign and ways you can contribute are on our website on the homepage.

Exam results – Can we do even better?We have managed an amazing trajectory of improvement in exam results over the past few years. One key headline has been the story of our GCSE results. In 2009 45% of our entries were graded A or A*. Year on year we have seen this figure improve to 64%. Last year’s IB and A level results were also our best ever. Can we do even better? We think we can and give our best wishes to our students taking their IB Diploma exams in early May, GCSE exams from mid-May onwards and A levels (plus some AS retakes) in June. Staff and students have been working incredibly hard. They deserve a wonderful set of results.

Stephen BoxHeadteacher

Headteacher’s Update

Page 4: Floyd Footnotes - Issue 23

There has been excellent attendance at over 20 training sessions for the Year 7 Netball Club this year. All attendees (regularly over 20 students) have developed their skills and started to play some really good netball. Anna Hill, Jade Cooke, both Year 10 and Maddy Matthews, Year 11 have all been actively involved in coaching the Year 7 team and they have been dedicated to improving individual performances as well as bringing so many different backgrounds in netball together into what is now a close knit team.

The team’s performance has been increasingly improving, resulting in a first win towards the end of the season against Akeley Wood and a very narrow defeat by one goal against the renowned strong opposition of The Royal Latin.

In the end of season Aylesbury Vale District Tournament involving all local schools the Year 7 team played some outstanding netball. With 18 teams present, 3 seeded leagues were played, with SHFGS playing in the top division. They won their first four matches against Cottesloe, the Grange, Akeley Wood and the Royal Latin, going from strength to strength in each match. The last game was the decider of the tournament against Aylesbury High who proved to be too strong. Overall, they finished Runners Up in the tournament - an excellent result for a hard working team!

Congratulations to all the girls involved, we are very proud of their hard work and excellent sportsmanship, and look forward to seeing them progress further in the future.

The U15 and U16 Netball Squads have really trained hard this season and under the watchful eye of sixth former Lara Soluade they have improved greatly.

The U16 squad, whilst small in numbers this year battled hard against their opposition in some exciting matches, beating Akeley Wood 20-19 and Royal Latin 17-6. Due to their mock exams they were unable to take part in the tournament and we await the results of the league in the summer term.

The U15 squad had an early loss against Sir Thomas Freemantle but gained their form with wins against Akeley Wood and The Royal Latin. They finished the season with a well-deserved second place in the North Bucks Schools tournament.

Rachel Selby, Faculty Leader & Pam Taylor, Teacher of PE

Cross Country The Bucks schools championships were held in High Wycombe in the grounds overlooked by Hughenden Manor. As usual the weather for early February was cold and damp, with a bit of rain to add to the muddy, hard going, running conditions. A team of student athletes from Years 7 to 12 took part and all worked their hardest to make the school proud in challenging circumstances.

A special mention goes to Fergus Jones in Year 10 who finished sixth in the Inter Boys Race, competing against others in Years 10 and 11, and as a result gained a place in the Buckinghamshire squad to compete at the English Schools Championships. Others that finished in the top 20 were Will Ralston (14th) and Oli Laxton (17th) in the Senior Boys and Olivia Hill (20th) in the Minor Girls.

Netball

Row Yourself ProudNine arm twisted staff took on the challenge of being sponsored for a 10 minute slot of rowing on the ‘Concept 2 Rowing Machine’ for us to meet the challenge of virtually rowing across the English Channel and back! The shortest distance across the Dover Strait is said to be 33,100m, so the target was to double this, and raise funds for Sport Relief with each stroke.

Jamie Howley, Year 10 got us off to an excellent start with 2,163m in the first 10 minutes and a big push from some able rowers in the Sixth Form (particularly Adam

Welsh) had us almost across the channel by 11.30am. The staff stepped up to the mark at lunchtime and many students encouraged them whilst adding to the donation bucket. Mr Burge put in a huge 2,651m and Ms Cockrane really worked the crowd for donations during her stint. With a little help from the Year 9 PE groups in the afternoon and a final push at 3.20 p.m. from Mr Roberts (who had to make at least 2,025m to row us back to the English shore!) we made it just in time!

A special mention should go to Isham Bhakta who raised a massive £50 sponsorship money and a huge thank you to all that took part by rowing, sponsoring, donating or helping on the day. We have raised just over £400, so well done!

Mrs R Selby, Faculty Leader for PE

Page 5: Floyd Footnotes - Issue 23

Year 10 History students, with a number of Sixth Form historians, were lucky enough to listen to retired Squadron Leader Garrets, MBE relay his personal experience in the Berlin Blockade. Garrets, who was on active service as a Royal Air Force pilot during 1948 and 1949, flew alongside American, Canadian and South African pilots in the Berlin Airlift. His lecture entailed details of the type and amount of supplies that were flown into West Berlin which had been isolated by the Soviet Union. Garrets also incorporated maps into his talk which underlined the technicalities of the airlift. The talk emphasised the immensity and difficulty of the operation as well as the fact that the airlift really was a symbol of dedication and determination in defending West Berlin.

It was interesting to hear a different perspective of the airlift, besides the Soviet opinion, especially as all observations came from someone who actually helped to execute the task. Garrets not only integrated interesting first hand details into his talk, such as the size and feel of the aircraft but also anecdotes of pranks and amusing conversations between fellow pilots. This sense of normality and fun that Garrets included relaxed his audience but also emphasised the fact that this was his job for a time, not just a heroic story. This personalisation meant that we left the talk with more than just a text book understanding of the event. Most of Year 10 also left the hall smiling at Garret’s look of glee for successfully engaging his audience for the whole hour.

Lily Bailes, 10M

At the end of last half term, we celebrated Global Diversity week, raising money for ‘All Hands Volunteers’, a non-profit charity which helps disaster relief volunteers all around the world.

This year’s occasion was focused upon the variety of different beliefs and religions found throughout our school. We held a selection of different events from a marimba performance in the hall to a talent show with lots of great performances from students and a few teachers! We also held a bake sale, packed full of cultural treats and a slide presentation which ran alongside different pieces of music from around the world.

This event always has a huge impact on the students but especially this year, on the topic of religion. From the week, and the assembly run by some of the sixth form Theory Of Knowledge team, we as students developed our understanding of different religions, and how we should respect whatever beliefs they entail, even if we don’t believe the same. Christian Union, an already very well attended group, opened their doors to everyone no matter what religion, and gave an insight on what it means to be a Christian. A prayer tree was also set up in the Library, where anyone could come and write up a prayer or thought and place it on the tree. At the end of the week, it was covered in messages and prayers and has been kept up in the library, as a reminder of the respect we hold for everyone, no matter what they believe.

The week was very successful. We learnt what it means to be a community full of lots of different people, and at the same time we raised £700 for ‘All Hands Volunteers’.

Keely Brown, 9C

Glbal Diversity

Page 6: Floyd Footnotes - Issue 23

Attendees were entertained by the largest number of bands ever seen in the events four year history, as well as undoubtedly the most enthusiastic audience we have ever had.

Bands both small and large performed, from the trio of Jacob Cole, Liam Gesoff, and Ben Kwan who brought soulful renditions of 90’s classics, to the seven-strong band of Gebush who presented a collection of rap specials and 80’s hits. Taking us back to decade-defining rock classics, the Teacher Band representing the Science, Maths and English departments introduced the younger audience members to ballads that forever changed the shape of the music industry and paid a fitting tribute to a fallen legend of rock with their rendition of ‘Heroes’ by David Bowie.

Audience members were also treated to Bronx Ridge, who delivered head-banging anthems that both opened and closed the evening loud and proud. Other bands included Purple Thursdays, These Blue Mountains, Silent Minority, and Meraki, all of whom had different performance styles to create the variety that made the event magical.

This was enhanced by the realistic concert lighting, creating a truly ‘gig-like’ atmosphere for all involved. “It was a dynamic and inspirational night, rich with the raw vitality that contemporary band music has to offer!” replied one attendee when asked about the event. The evening was ably compared by Head Boy Harry Frost and Deputy Head Boy Luke Tomkins, keeping the audience members well-entertained in between acts, whilst the ever-capable tech team busily set up each act, creating a professional and memorable evening for performers and revellers alike.

Hugo Piper, 6W2 (Lead Performing Arts Ambassador) & Connor Spence, 6C1 (Young Arts Leader)

Loud &

ProudSir Henry Floyd’s Band Night 2016

saw students

and teachers engage in stellar performances,

ranging from punk to funk, h

ip-hop to Brit-pop.

Page 7: Floyd Footnotes - Issue 23

dance away

Rambert Dance Workshop and Show:In February a group of Year 9, Year 10 and 11 students went to Aylesbury Waterside Theatre and took part in a workshop with Rambert Dance Company. Students were challenged with some innovative contemporary repertoire taught by one of the company’s animateurs. After the workshop the students had the opportunity to participate in a question and answer session with the Rambert rehearsal director. This provided an invaluable insight into the works the company were performing and enabled the students to engage further with the works when viewing them in the performance. We also were able to gain an insight into the typical life of a Rambert dancer when touring and when performing in their resident theatre. This was followed by the show itself, which involved three contrasting pieces. I loved sitting with the students and hearing their thoughts and opinions on the pieces we watched and I hope they enjoyed the experience as much as me.

Rock Challenge 2016 Regional Showcase:In 2012 we had great success at the Rock Challenge event and won our regional heat before going on to win the Southern Open Final at Portsmouth Guildhall. This means that as a school we are now part of the Premier Division of the event, where we compete against the best schools from across the South of England who have also had similar success in previous years.

As a premier team we are given the opportunity to showcase our performance at a regional event without competing. For the first time this year Rock Challenge held a regional heat in Milton Keynes Theatre. It was wonderful to perform in such a fantastic venue (with a stage large enough to accommodate our extra large set!). What was particularly exciting was the fact that as

it was a local event we had over 100 parents and friends supporting us. Thank you all for coming.

The lead up to the event was typically busy, involving many hours of sewing, rehearsing and painting. The commitment of our students never fails to amaze me. I feel the stage crew are the real unsung heroes of this event as they put in so many hours behind the scenes without the gratification of the onstage applause. Our production is a real team effort and student leadership is always at the heart of our pieces. I believe strongly in the importance of giving students the creative freedom and trust to create their own material within our Rock Challenge piece, whether that be creating the soundtrack, costume designs or choreographing and teaching material in the piece. It brings a real sense of teamwork and community into our team. As ever I have seen strong friendships forged across the year groups, with some of our Year 9’s becoming firm friends with our Year 13’s and even performing in their A level group pieces. I have been particularly impressed with the Year 9 participants this year, despite being the youngest members of the team, they have been professional, committed and have acted and danced their socks off. Their confidence and performance skill has been truly inspiring.

A particular highlight of mine was the teachers “air guitar” competition, with Miss Bahra, Mrs Chapman and myself fighting hard for the title but narrowly missing out to another school. We will try harder for the premier final! I have noticed many a group performing the same characteristic movements from the “whip nae nae”, therefore I have been trying to perfect this move and even included it in my Rock Challenge liaison teacher interview, much to the amusement of the Sixth Form team!

The theme of Jonestown has been a sensitive and touching story to explore. Again, I have been impressed by how the

Sixth Form team have researched the theme and tried to convey it in a way that is appropriately dramatic, whilst at the same time historically plausible. Credit is due to the choreographers: Jack Buchanan, Lauren Kendall, Emily Cregan, Rhianna Baker, Clarissa Davis, Joe Davies and Georgia Williams who have created some original, innovative movement material and with such a large cast this is no mean feat. Hugo Piper has created a fluid, smooth soundtrack, seamlessly blending the different tracks. Alice Cromwell and Ebun Osobu have headed up the costume and make-up team, creating a cohesive look for a challenging theme.

Thank you to Mrs Chapman and Miss Bahra for supporting us on the day. Thank you to the caretaking team for their help finishing the set. Thanks to Miss Ksaizek in all her help preparing costumes and helping with the administration of the event. Finally, thanks to Mr Cole. I feel our designs for the set become more ambitious every year and he rises to the challenge. This year is our most impressive set yet, so thank you!

The team were a credit to the school both in their onstage performance and in their attitude throughout the day. The judges awarded us certificates of excellence in: School Community Support, Student Leadership, Achievement in Drug Awareness, Choreography, Performance, Stage Use, Concept, Drama, Soundtrack, Set Design and Function, Entertainment, Lighting and Stage Crew.

I would like to thank all the parents for their continued support. I would also like to thank two local companies who sponsored us for the event: JMP Media and KJB Communications.

We hope to see you in Portsmouth on Saturday 25th June 2016.

Sara Durose, Subject Leader for Dance

Page 8: Floyd Footnotes - Issue 23

In January we were pleased to be able to host a return visit from the National Deaf Children’s Society Listening Bus. It ran a variety of workshops for Hearing Impaired students plus staff from both ours and surrounding schools.

The Who Am I? workshop was designed to improve young deaf people’s self-esteem so they feel comfortable with their deafness and confident about being independent. It encouraged them to think about their achievements, interests and ambitions and how their deafness plays a part in who they are. The My Future? session aimed to improve young deaf people’s knowledge of their rights for support in education, training and employment and to prepare them for the challenges ahead. It was interactive with opportunities for the students to share their thoughts and ideas, developing confidence and coping strategies to manage in different situations. There was also a Technology session with the opportunity to try out items such as vibrating alarm clocks, flashing doorbells and Bluetooth devices aimed at improving independence by increasing awareness of what is available. Everyone then had the opportunity to have lunch and partake in games with other hearing-impaired young people.

The feedback from the students who attended was very positive:“I really liked the NDCS Listening Bus because it was very helpful and interesting. It was a great experience.” Arsalaan

“The first workshop we did we discussed the advantages of being deaf. You get 2 for 1 cinema tickets as well as being able to cut the queues at theme parks and you get a free bus pass. We also thought about the disadvantages which include, for example that the [cochlear] implant can dislodge if you wear a helmet e.g. on a bike, and if you lose them you will not be able to hear, plus the batteries do not last long. We discussed university and the resources available, and the gadgets available to use. An additional bonus for me was that I will finally get the sonic bomb alarm clock. In the end it was a day of good fun.” Matthew

“I found the sessions informative and useful, learning about all the things available to me - now, at university and in a job, such as a Note Taker. I also learned about the technology available, like the App NTG which helps when calling people. It was nice talking to other students.” Chris

“I really enjoyed the listening bus. I made some new friends and discovered technology and priorities I didn’t even know existed! It was a fun and I really appreciate being involved. The technology, such as alarm clocks and vibrating watches, were like nothing I’ve seen before. Videos were included, helping us to use empathy and put ourselves in other peoples’ shoes. It was really helpful! The person running it told us all sorts of priorities and informed us that we could get all this if we were confident and spoke up. Throughout the whole time, sign language was used alongside talking so we all understood what was being said. Students from other schools joined us and we all interacted and shared experiences. All in all, it was a great day. Thank you for this opportunity.” Emily

“It was very useful to hear about help that we can get in university or when at work. I also really enjoyed listening to Jamie telling us about some of his experiences of being deaf and his adventures when he went travelling.” Finnian

“We received a very informative talk from a young man who has been deaf since birth, about the problems he has faced with his disability and how he has built bridges to overcome them. The team were really positive and keen to help the group to become aware of all the resources and help available to us. Not only now, at school, but the support at university and finally the workplace. As I hope to be going to university next year, learning about DSA, financial support, was really useful. Also finding out about other new technological devices made me feel more at ease about the transition from school to university. Overall, all of us that attended felt it was an interesting and valuable experience, I would

recommend it to anyone needing more information on hearing impairments.” Clarissa

Many teachers gave up their lunch hour to attend a Staff Information Workshop outlining how small changes in the classroom, e.g. closing windows on a noisy road to eliminate background noise, repeating answers from students across the classroom, writing keywords on the whiteboard to give a visual aid, can help the HI student.

Some comments from staff included:“I thought the session very useful, not least because it heightened my awareness of the issues HI students face.”

“I will seek to be more conscious about planning for potential issues.”

“It was very helpful. I especially liked learning how cochlear implants work.”

“I have experienced teaching children in other schools with radio microphones and cochlear implants and each time I learn something new to help me support their learning environment.”

“Thank you for organising this event. Really worthwhile and good to meet your students and staff” said a visiting teacher.

A drop in session at the end of the day, allowed pre-school hearing impaired children to come with their parents and see what is available for them. It also enabled the parents to see how older hearing-impaired students cope with everyday life.

Our thanks to Kerry and Jamie from the NDCS for a wonderful day and giving so many young HI students inspiration and confidence to take forward. Our thanks also go to Specialist Teachers who helped support and promote this event to Hearing Impaired students in the area.

Jennifer Cole, Personalised Learning

ListeningBus

Page 9: Floyd Footnotes - Issue 23

IB Prepared Me For University As much as I knew that studying the International Baccalaureate would be beneficial in the long-term, I did not anticipate quite how valuable it would be as preparation for university.The change in the style of learning that comes with the step-up to university is one that requires more independent learning, with a key focus on time management and self-motivation. These skills are fundamental to the IB and its learner profile; having been accustomed to managing my own workload for the past two years, I have found the progression to the university style of studying to be both manageable and enjoyable.

The sheer breadth of subjects studied within the IB has been extremely beneficial at university, where by maintaining a study of six subjects at an advanced level throughout sixth-form it has been possible to gain a strong foundation for a wider range of knowledge than the average student. Studying a humanities degree, I have been able to apply five out of six of my subjects from the IB to the essays I have written in the first term of university alone, where the range of information I have been able to include has helped my essays stand out from others.

One thing I am most grateful for from the IB was the opportunity to continue with English and Maths whilst specialising in subjects of greater interest to me. Without having kept up English as a subject, my level of analysis and ability to form a coherent argument would be of a much lower level, where I wouldn’t be capable of writing the standard of essays required of me now. While Maths has not been directly applicable to my degree so far, the skills I gained from continuing with the subject have improved my ability to problem solve and think logically when faced with new questions; skills which are extremely valuable in an approach to learning in general. Other previous IB students have said that the depth at which Maths is taught provides a thorough understanding of the content learnt, while the style of learning encourages students to build upon their own knowledge independently - much like the process of studying at university.

There is no doubt that studying in sixth-form is hard work, whether a student takes the IB or A Levels. However for me, the holistic approach of the IB has undoubtedly changed my style of learning, where I am more aware of the way in which I should approach a piece of work, in addition to the content I will include. Essentially, when selecting a course of study at any stage in our lives, is important to consider the way we are learning to learn, and not simply what we are learning.

Sarah Bull, 2015 leaver, now studying at Cambridge University.

Race For OxbridgeTwenty-one Year 12 students travelled to Epsom Downs racecourse in the final week of term to join 1000 other hopefuls from all over the south-east in attending the annual Oxbridge Students’ Conference for those considering applying to either Oxford or Cambridge universities. This whole day event includes sessions on how to make an application to these very competitive universities stand out from the crowd as well as a wide variety of subject-specific talks and short taster lectures.

Our students commented on the day:

“Very interesting and informative. I was able to learn about the course I wish to study and discovered other courses, which had previously been disregarded, as viable options with thought-provoking elements.” Olivia O’Hanlon and Aidan Smith

“We were given brief subject lectures by specialist Oxbridge professors, giving some insight into the courses and their structure. After today, we feel more confident in our understanding of what we need to do to prepare for the admissions process.” Naomi Owolabi and Tien Tonnu

“Today helped me understand the differences between courses I want to do, and I now feel inspired and motivated to excel academically.” Imogen Godwin and Tsamaija Forsythe-Gidharry

Kathryn Chapman, Assistant Head of Sixth Form

Page 10: Floyd Footnotes - Issue 23

With the school year well established, most Year 12’s who are looking to enter higher education now begin the hunt for where they wish to study. Searching for the right university is always just as important as finding the right course, and that’s why you should visit universities of a wide variety; simply looking at universities of the same calibre and reputation may not help you decide what you want from higher education.

For my first university open day, I paid a visit to UCFB Wembley, a University Campus for Footballing Business based inside Wembley Stadium itself. My reason for doing so was my interest in entering the world of sports journalism. Having only been formed as recently as 2010, this new and unique university (based at Wembley Stadium, the Etihad Stadium and Turf Moor) offers multiple degrees which bode well with the sports and leisure industries, especially football. Being only six years old, and technically only two-years old if you only count how long courses have been running for, you would not expect this university to offer much... however, think again.

With access to all facilities at the three football stadiums, opportunities to help behind the scenes of major events such as music concerts, FA Cup finals and NFL matches to name a few, plus work links with institutions as big as Real Madrid, UCFB

offers more work opportunities than plenty of long-standing universities, proving that sometimes, age is just a number. What’s more is that they provide you with plenty of beneficial extras such as generous student discounts and sports facility memberships. Whilst remembering that these work opportunities pile on the hours, it’s important to remember that gaining plenty of experience improves your chances of gaining a job after leaving university.

Visiting UCFB made me realise that it is different to other universities, and that ‘different’ is what I wanted. Besides, could any football fan resist the chance to study whilst looking out at the famous Wembley pitch? If you are interested in course areas linked with the sporting industry, such as coaching, media, football business and events management, be sure to visit ucfb.com

After being wowed by what UCFB had to offer me, plus the free stadium tour which I thoroughly enjoyed, I realised that you don’t have to visit a Russell Group campus to receive a quality higher education. The trick in finding the right university is knowing what truly suits you, and that sometimes ‘different’ can make you stand out from the crowd.

Oliver Mooney, 6W1

Thinking OuTside The (PenalTy) BOx?

ELEVATE YOUR THINKINGAs part of the Year 12 LIFE! programme students experienced an interesting, fun and really beneficial session about memory and mnemonics run by Elevate. LIFE! sessions occur fortnightly, however there was something about this particular one that stood out. The aim of the Elevate sessions are to give us important, useful tips on how to revise and ready ourselves for exams. Other LIFE! sessions deal with a variety of issues that equip us for later life once we leave school.

During this Elevate session, we learnt how our brain works best and we were advised how to revise and taught how to make our revision sessions effective and worthwhile. Our funny, enthusiastic presenter showed us different, unique ways of revising through semantic learning techniques, such as using mnemonics to help us remember important facts and pieces of information. The presenter took us through lots of visual examples and we took part in various activities, including games to test our memory, which left the year in laughter and amazement. Overall, it was very helpful and advantageous and we took home a booklet with lots of great revision tips inside. Now we know how to make revision a little bit more fun and interesting.

Antonio Belardo, 6W2

Courting CambridgeA group of our sixth from students recently visited Cambridge for the Cambridge University Sixth Form Law Conference. Their feedback summarised the benefits of such events:

“It was a fantastic visit, providing us with a brief experience as to what university life, and specifically Cambridge, is like. There were about 250 of us from sixth forms around the country currently studying the International Baccalaureate, A-Levels, and even the Welsh Baccalaureate, all interested in one career path - law.”

“Professors and lecturers taught us about various legal topics such as Tort, Human Rights and Criminal, and gave us a short insight into the life of a law student at Cambridge. Aside from learning about aspects of the law we had tours of the university from existing law students, saw colleges in the centre of the town and also learnt about the historical and cultural elements of Cambridge. In the evening we were lucky enough to watch a debate in the Cambridge Union and a barrister-led mock criminal trial.”

“Overall, I would definitely recommend the Cambridge Law conference, or any event where sixth-formers can briefly experience the university, degree or career they are wishing to pursue.”

Fiona Thompson, Librarian & Pastoral Assistant

Page 11: Floyd Footnotes - Issue 23

Intellectual InteractionIn mid-March, the Philosophy & Ethics department had the great pleasure of welcoming Dr Joseph Adonu (Senior Lecturer of Social Psychology, Bedfordshire University) as a guest speaker to the school’s Philosophy Club.

Students from Years 7 to 13 listened to and debated with Dr Adonu on a wide range of topics including; the palpable importance of philosophy in modern society, Aristotelian ideas about the distinctions between different forms of life, the tangibility (or not) of love, and the five types of philosophy.Many people have since spoken with Miss

Patchett (Subject Leader) and ourselves to express how enjoyable and thought-provoking they found the session, and Dr Adonu himself has said that it was a “refreshing and leisurely intellectual interaction”. This is a testament to the maturity of our student body, and their willingness to engage.

Dr Adonu has kindly donated a copy of his book, “How to Excel & Have Fun at University”, which can be found in the Sixth Form study area, and he welcomes us all to visit his website, www.josephadonu.com to read more of his thoughts.

We are very thankful for the opportunity to listen to somebody who is so passionate about reaching out to the young people of today, to address pressing issues and life-changing debates, and we are excited to welcome Dr Adonu back to Philosophy Club on Tuesday 12th April.

Izzy Lambert-Russell & Sam Riley, Philosophy & Ethics Ambassadors

Another year has passed and yet another brilliant Senior Student Leadership Team has finished their term in office. Their many legacies include improving the school’s mental health policies and enhancing the communication and engagement with our closest neighbouring school, Pebblebrook. We thank them for their service to the school and wish them the best of luck in their forthcoming examinations and beyond!

Towards the end of their term, the previous SSLT’s final task was to assist with the recruitment of the new student leaders. This is done soon after the Christmas break so that the Year 13 students can concentrate on their imminent exams. The recruitment process started with application letters from all Year 12 prefect students who were interested. From the many that applied sixteen were shortlisted, and they had a short time to prepare for a speech in front of the whole year group, and a formal interview with the Headteacher, Head of Sixth Form, and the previous Head Boy and Head Girl.

For many, the week leading up to announcement day was incredibly suspenseful. The competition was strong, and sadly not all were successful, but those that were then received their new badges and roles from the Year 13 student who had held the corresponding role for the previous year. This hand-over was understandably emotional for many, and somewhat relieving for all.

The Student Senior Leadership Team for 2016/17 are:

Head Boy & Girl Sam Benbow & Abbie Foy

Deputy Head Boys & GirlsVerity Bennett, Joe Kennett, Aidan Smith &

Kirsten Stewart

Lead PrefectsTsamaija Forsythe-Gidharry, Megan Jenkins,

Qasim Khan & Shaun Nolan

Leading the Way “Becoming Head Girl was always an aspiration from a young age, and I knew it wouldn’t be easy. I was right. Spending 3 days in total writing and going back to my letter plus running my speech over and over again - even in the wings of Rock Challenge! Picking the outfit and practising interview techniques, including how to open and close the door. Every part of the application process was a challenge and echoes a similar process to the working world. Then finally, opening the letter and seeing your name is a feeling you couldn’t possibly replicate. Our thanks go to Maxine and Harry for all of their hard work and we hope to continue their amazing work and add our own influence on the school, making a difference where we can.”

Abbie Foy, Head Girl

“Ever since my first day at Sir Henry Floyd, which was scarily half a decade ago, I knew I wanted to give something back. On that very first day, and every day since, the school has given me so much. The culture especially has been a key factor for my academic and personal success. The role of Head Boy was the obvious path to choose in order to give back and try to maintain my experience of the school for the next generation. My extra-curricular experience of being an Air Cadet and a Dinghy Sailing Instructor gave me the necessary skills to figurehead the student body and effectively work with my team of exceptional individuals for the benefit of all within Sir Henry Floyd’s walls. We are a family, a somewhat large one, but none-the-less a close one, and I intend to keep it that way.”

Sam Benbow, Head Boy

Page 12: Floyd Footnotes - Issue 23

A TERM IN PICTURES…

Year 12 exploring respiratory surfaces

Sixth Form Football

Choir Practice for Assemblies

Music Practice

GCSE Dance Practice

Outgoing SSLT looking their best

Shrove Tuesday in Food Tech Desserts on the Menu

Page 13: Floyd Footnotes - Issue 23

Drama Club Read through

Netball Practice

Cricket Practice in the nets

Year 7 Castle Competition Entries

Junior Debating Club in full voice

Christian Union Meeting

Year 11 heart dissection

Year 13 Biology Communication

Silver DofE students ready to trek

String Band Club

GCSE Music in full f low

Page 14: Floyd Footnotes - Issue 23

In politics, the Pirate Council had to decide which type of ship to attack and take its plunder for themselves. They discussed which one to attack and a variety of voting systems to see which one would be best to use, ranging from a simple one vote each to a dictatorship of a captain. We related it to modern day Britain and how voting effects our daily lives.

In philosophy and ethics, students looked at pirate codes and whether they would want to live by these rules, where they had to devise three new rules. The second part of the session was based around different characters on a pirate ship where the students had to decide which five people they would save based on role and powers.

In history, the students were given the opportunity, with the aid of the iPads, to research infamous pirates such as Blackbeard and Anne Bonny. They investigated their crimes, when and where they were pirating as well as some obscure facts. They then used this information to create a wanted poster, with rewards ranging from a house and a dog to $1,000,000! The children were intrigued to find that not all pirates, like Henry Morgan, were bad.

For geography, we played the trade game which involved groups of students as “pirate ships” making a variety of shapes and selling them to the “world bank” (if they were the correct dimensions) to gain the most money. However, some of the ships had more money or resources to begin with so they had to trade between themselves to get rulers or paper. It was interesting to see that the table with the most money but least resources at the beginning won; therefore, they traded very efficiently.

Overall, the experience day was a great success. We could not have done it without the Humanities teaching department, ambassadors and helpers. We hope to continue our links with local primary schools in the future.

Dilan Mistry 6W3, Maddie Parsons 6H2, George Battams-Scott 6A2 & Alysha Wilson 6C1 Lead Humanities Ambassadors

On arriving, outside the museum was a large glitter ball and a curved water fountain. Once we entered, you could already see a number of exhibits, such as a weather report system and a water fountain powered by human energy.

Out of all the exhibits, my favourite was the spring stargazing show in the planetarium where inside was the glitter ball we had seen earlier. In the show, we started on earth and quickly floated through space to find other planets and moons. When this happened, it felt like we were moving, not the screen that ran around the entire planetarium. At one point, we zoomed out to find an image of the Milky Way in about ten seconds, which gave me the thought that we were going faster than the speed of light. I would definitely recommend this to anybody interested in astrophysics.

One of the oddest exhibits in the museum was an optical illusion. It used mirror reflection to create an image of a bottomless pit. Luckily, there was glass covering the top of it so no one bothered to push me in!

Another of the clever exhibits in the museum was a game of beach volleyball however, in reality it was hologram volleyball. If you stood in the right area of the green screen you could play the game to your heart’s content.

We also went into a studio to talk about Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space. We learnt how people use hydrogen gas that’s exposed to air to form rocket fuel. We tested it with a Pring-les tin and saw it shoot into the air. Everybody was astounded.

We finished by visiting the museum shop. Most bought things such as sweets and spy glasses, but some bought interesting items like Frisbees and flexible putty. I really enjoyed the trip to @Bristol science museum. I can’t praise their work enough and I hope I can go back and experience all the exhibits again.

Peter Sharpe, 7W2

WONDeRS OF SCIeNCeIn March, over two days Year 7 went to @Bristol science museum. The museum opened in the year 2000, and since then has had millions of visitors from all over the world to come and see its exhibits. Our visit was a fantastic experience for all the students and everybody wanted to stay for longer.

Primary PiratesIn mid-March fifty students from Bearbrook Primary School came to Sir Henry Floyd for a Humanities experience Day. With the theme of pirates, the young students engaged in four sessions encompassing history, politics, geography and philosophy + ethics. An integral part of the day was to put across the differences between piracy and modern day British democratic values.

Page 15: Floyd Footnotes - Issue 23

Mrs Craigie in ful l f low!

Our annual CHARITY DAYS, on the last two days of the spring term supported the Clinical Human Factors Group (chfg.org). This charity works with the NHS to try and promote Human Factors in order to reduce the amount of mistakes made in healthcare in the UK. The founder of the charity, Martin Bromiley, is father to two students, Victoria in Year 12 and Adam in Year 10.

On the first day, morning break time saw the return of Gunge The Teacher. Mr Kim, in third place, had a bucket of icy water tipped over him. Mrs Bell, who was second, had the delights of Everyday Value custard on her head. Mr Forshaw was the (unlucky?) teacher who came first in the amount of money raised, received a head to toe covering of lumpy green gunge.

Lunchtime saw two events running. On the field we had a Harry Potter themed sports tournament, known as Quidditch. Obviously, due to the school’s budget and the inability to fly, we were not able to use proper broomsticks however, it did involve students running around with hockey sticks, trying to get balls into hoops and catching the Snitch! We also had the Bushpotter Trials which was inspired by I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! Mrs Malone and Mr Hand bravely volunteered to complete a series of disgusting food related tasks, in order to see who would earn the most stars and therefore get crowned the winner! Mrs Malone won 3 out of 5 rounds, and she even brought in some meal worms for the audience to taste.

The second day brought with it an array of fundraising events including a Harry Potter themed mufti day. Break time was for the bake sale, an event that always promises to be a success, and this year was no exception. Lunchtime was the event that got everyone talking since it was first announced, our first ever Teachers Lip Sync Battle. After a competitive session of lip syncing, the audience cheered the loudest for their favourite. It was clear that Ms Cochrane (aka Lady Gaga) was the winner, followed closely by Mrs Craigie in second place.

I am proud to say that we raised £3,013 - the most successful Charity Days ever. It was decided that the charities Beautiful Alice and Otters Swimming Club for the Disabled would each receive £100 from the total, leaving £2,813 for the Clinical Human Factors Group.

There was a great deal of effort put in to organising and running the events for two days. A special thank you goes out to Shaun Nolan for all his hard work coordinating everything (and everyone). As a member of the Charity Committee myself, it has been a pleasure to work with such an amazing group of people, and I think we definitely put the FUN into fundraising!

Victoria Bromiley, 6M1

Quidditch

Mr Forshaw, Stil l Smiling!

Bush Potter Trials

Quidditch Team Talk

Harry Potter Mufti-Day

Gunge the Teacher Voting

Bake Sale

Ms C ochrane aka Lady Gaga

Page 16: Floyd Footnotes - Issue 23

I started at the Floyd in September of 1971 after leaving Bell St. Primary School in Princes Risborough. I still remember my first morning at school, being marched into the old gymnasium and separated into the three forms. I made friends that day that have lasted a lifetime. I was in form 1.1 with Mrs Marsh and Mr Peters and our classroom was in the wing adjacent the Oxford Road (the Practical Block). By the time I left in 1976, I was in 5-1 and on the top floor of the Tower Block.

I remember Mr Burr was an excellent Maths teacher, I really liked Miss Dobbin even though I was poor at French, and Mr Brooks gave me a love of technical drawing that has served me well in my career. I have fond memories of my time at the Floyd even though I was not a great student - mainly because I was more interested in music and football. However, I worked hard enough during the long hot summer of 1976 to get 4 O-Levels. I remain immensely indebted to Mr. Curtis who helped me to get a c pass in English Language, which was my weakest subject, but really important for getting into further education. Mr. Curtis instilled a love for reading quality literature that has extended into my adult years. I always wonder what would have happened if I had stayed on to do A-levels. I grew up on a council estate in Risborough and all of my friends were getting apprenticeships; there was no expectation for me to go to university from my parents who had both left school at 14. Armed with my qualifications I obtained a job as a trainee structural engineer in Aylesbury and was lucky enough to be sent back to full-time education at Bucks College in High Wycombe where I received an OND in Building in 1978. I continued my education through part-time study and received an HTC in Building in 1980. It was at this time that I started to realise that if I took education seriously I was quite good at it - something I wished I’d known earlier. I continued to study part time for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Examinations and was successful in passing these and became a Chartered Building Surveyor in 1987.I moved into academia in 1988, teaching at the Bucks College on the same courses I had taken in the 1970’s. In 1992 I was given the opportunity to study for a graduate degree in the United States and so I travelled to College Station, Texas to begin the most important year of my life. A year later I had met my future wife Coleena, and had a Masters degree in Construction Management. We moved back to the UK and I continued to teach at Bucks College until 1996, when we moved to Texas so I could start work on my doctorate. I graduated in 2000 with a PhD in Architecture and was hired as an Assistant Professor. During my time at Texas A&M I worked on

multi-year government funded project to investigate the building remains at the historic D-Day landing site at Pointe du Hoc in Normandy. Our work there was filmed for an episode of Battlefield Detectives for the History Channel, and I have had the opportunity to present the results of our survey work at conferences all over the world. In 2006, I was promoted to Associate Professor, the same year our twin daughters, Cordie and Lizzie were born. In 2008 I was invited to become a Professor and School Head for the McWhorter School of Building Science at Auburn University in Alabama and this is my current position.

When I was at the Floyd I would never have guessed that I would end up obtaining a doctorate and becoming a professor at a top US university, let alone leading a school of over 500 undergraduate and graduate students at one of the premier public universities in the United States. Education has been the key that has unlocked the opportunities that I have been given in life, and I have been lucky, in that I have always had the opportunity to further my education at key stages in my career.

I understand that current students at the Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School have many options after graduation about where they study. Any current student that is contemplating studying in the United States and has any questions is welcome to contact me at [email protected]

Richard Burt, 1976 leaver

Where are they now?

Richard Burt

We currently have over 1,400 Old Floydian members – a figure that continues to grow week by week – and this term we feature articles from two alumni who left 33 years apart. We have several more articles from other Old Floydians that we haven’t managed to publish this time but will look to do so in the future. If any leavers – students, staff or governors would like to contribute please email [email protected]

Old FloydianMembers

Page 17: Floyd Footnotes - Issue 23

Do not worry if you do not have a plan. That would be the best piece of advice I could offer anyone who may be thinking what to do after they finish school. Sure, have dreams and goals and strive to meet them, but expect the unexpected. Believe me.I say this now from a certain point of experience, though during my time at the Floyd it was hard to imagine quite what life would be like outside those walls. It was seven years of changes, learning, fun and ultimately, developing into a well-rounded individual.

After I left school, university felt the natural option however, in the end I deferred a place at Cardiff University in favour of travelling the world for four-and-a-half months. I got myself a job as a barman, saved up the pennies and took off. Halfway through my trip, I cancelled the university place and never looked back as eager to achieve more quickly, I decided to take an intensive journalism course over a six month period in a newsroom in Bournemouth. One year later I was back in Aylesbury working for the local newspaper, The Bucks Herald and my journalism career had begun.

Looking back this drive to succeed stemmed a lot from the confidence my teachers at the Floyd had instilled in me - this supreme belief that I could get where I wanted by trying hard and, of course, having fun along the way. Life is definitely all about balance and I continue to live by the motto - work hard, play hard.

Working as a news reporter is a fascinating and exciting job, while at times it can be emotionally draining and difficult. You cover a wide spectrum of stories and a typical week could easily involve covering a murder case at court, grilling a local politician or helping check the weight of swans at an animal hospital (yes, I really did this as a feature article).

After a year-and-a-half with The Bucks Herald I left for the bright lights of London to join UK sports radio station talkSPORT as a staff writer. Here I covered Premier League football among many other sports, met a range of sports stars and celebrities, whilst getting to live the city life. It marked yet another incredible experience, however the next was truly a step in a different and life altering direction.

Despite forging a path in journalism over a three year period, I was not satisfied and felt a true calling to go and give something back to people. I had dabbled with some volunteer and charity work in the UK but I wanted to

go further. So I packed my bags and headed out to the Philippines in November 2014 to join a disaster relief non-governmental organisation called All Hands Volunteers. Here I would directly help to rebuild the islands of Leyte and Samar after Typhoon Haiyan devastated the region, leaving thousands dead and many more homeless.

Supporting charities and my fellow man was something ingrained in me from an early age by my parents and later developed by the culture that still exists to this day at the Floyd. But this was the chance to directly make a difference with my own hands. How little did I know the impact going to the Philippines would have on my life.

I was supposed to stay just two months, but it was only one year later that I actually left. All Hands Volunteers helps people from every background from around the world both grow and make a difference. They pay for your food and accommodation and in exchange you give your all, day-in-day to help improve people’s lives. During my stay there I helped and led teams in rebuilding homes, schools, boats and much more despite having no previous construction experience. Through the help of more experienced volunteers and skilled local workers, you quickly become trained in the art of building. Apart from learning new skills, I made lifelong friends from around the world, discovered a country I had not previously thought of visiting and did a small part to directly help people who had lost so much during a devastating storm.

I also took the opportunity to put my journalism skills to use by joining All Hands Volunteers in a staff role as the Multimedia Coordinator after six months. In this role I was in charge of videography, photography, articles, liaising with multimedia contacts and PR for the project. It was an eye opening experience and an emotional job capturing the lives of the Filipino people, our volunteers and the work we did. It was a role that I left with a heavy heart. After almost a year of living with between 30-100 people and working long hours, I was exhausted and decided for a change of scenery.

Now I reside in Berlin with my girlfriend, having moved here together after the Philippines. I have three jobs – two in sales with internet start-ups, the third as a freelance travel writer. I am a creature of change you could say and who knows where next I’ll end up, but I am happy for having an adventurous life, and know that without the experiences and knowledge the Floyd provided me with, none of it would have been possible.

My lasting words would be to relish your time at the Floyd, use every moment you can to create lasting memories, broaden your horizons and, of course, enjoy the laughs along the way.

Dom Bryant, 2009 leaver

Where are they now?

Dom Bryant

Page 18: Floyd Footnotes - Issue 23

Borneo: what an exotic and exciting destination! This is where over 40 current Year 11 and Year 12 students are heading to on their 2017 World Challenge Expedition. Vital to the success of the expedition is the huge task of fund-raising and in late February the students hosted a Malaysian-themed evening to kick-start this process. In the days leading up to the event itself, students could be heard discussing such topics as painted jam jars; cut-out jungle animals; how to make “teh tarik” (and how much to charge for it); whether there were enough raffle prizes; where to situate the marimbas; if someone had arranged the sound equipment and who was going to help the fabulous Mrs Chan make curry for over 100 people.

The hard work paid off. We were entertained throughout the evening by games, quizzes, marimba music and a trio of accomplished musicians. We were taught how to do several Malaysian dance moves which somehow morphed into a very bizarre conga. We were fed the most amazing curry. And the “teh tarik” was the subject of much discussion!

Our congratulations go to the students for the hard work and planning that went into the preparations for the evening, and for their tireless efforts on the night with ensuring that all the guests enjoyed themselves whilst parting with as much money as possible. After covering their costs, the money raised will pay for transport for their Snowdonia training expedition, travel to Heathrow airport for the expedition itself, and importantly, to fund additional items for the communities they will be working with in Borneo.

Thanks to all the staff who cajoled, encouraged and supported the students in their efforts, and to family, friends and staff who attended the evening for your generosity and support. We wish all the Challengers success as they continue raising much-needed funds and as they train for the physical and emotional challenges ahead. May they see much fruit from their efforts, personally as well as in the wider context!

Jan Merrow-Smith, Assistant Teacher

Borneo Beckons

Mrs Chan’s amazing curry!

Leading the cooking Borneo chal lengers host the eveningHeads and Tails

Page 19: Floyd Footnotes - Issue 23

Once again at February half-term a group of students from Years 11, 12 and 13 headed for Alpendorf in Austria on the annual Senior Snowsports Trip. With four hours of tuition every day and excellent snow conditions, skiers and snowboarders of all abilities made great progress. Floyd students and staff are a competitive bunch though and this year we were determined to give our very best on the Thursday Race Day competing against a number of different schools from all over the U.K.

Did we triumph? Here is an extract from our trip blog.It was a strikingly beautiful day; we ascended the gondola through a huge mass of low lying cloud to find glorious sunshine above at the top of the mountain. Beneath us, the clouds drowned the valley below, looking like a huge white sea from which the mountains rose majestically. It was a fine start to the day.

In the beginner’s group, Mr Paul Hand was no doubt going to get the fastest time but selflessly collided with a post and ejected himself from his skis to allow the students to take the glory instead.

Elsewhere, in the advanced group, Jack Brailsford tried a similar tactic and succeeded in snapping one of his skis in a dramatic crash. He then changed his mind, and decided he wanted to win after all. And win he did, but only after sending Mr Matt Williams on a mad dash to replace the broken skis with new intact ones. Jack’s second attempt at the extremely difficult slalom course was as successful as his first was disastrous. He completed the course in a time that only the expert ski instructors are expected to achieve, resulting in the Floyd’s first ever outright victory in the competition. Later that afternoon, all the Snowslippers instructors and their ski groups, consisting of students from many different countries and schools, attended a presentation ceremony, where medals were awarded, students were applauded and the whole week was celebrated. It was a lovely way to (almost) end a fantastic week’s skiing, finishing with Jack receiving his trophy, a very large golden cup on the podium, and Adrian Gallie alongside him in third place (taking his three hundred and eightieth selfie of the trip).

The full list of medal winners for their groups was as follows: Gold and overall winner: Fastest Skier of the Week:

Jack Brailsford Gold:

Leo Killilea Clark Jack Turnham

Silver: Tom Hale Ed Hewitt

Alec Partington Emily Boardman

Bronze: Ella Church

Charlotte Harvey Samantha Barclay

Elysia Pughe Adrian Gallie

We are very proud of them all!

Sarah Williams, Suzy Davis, Paul Hand & Matt WilliamsSucceSS On TheSlOpeS For those who may be interested, the details of next year’s Senior Snowsports

Trip can be found on the school’s website at www.sirhenryfloyd.bucks.sch.uk

Ready for Ski School

2016 Snow Sports Team

Page 20: Floyd Footnotes - Issue 23

Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School | www.sirhenryfloyd.bucks.sch.uk

Dates for your Diary

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Dates are liable to change. Please see the school website for up to date information www.sirhenryfloyd.bucks.sch.uk

If you are shopping on the internet for wine, furniture, iTunes, gifts or even flights, please take a moment to log

onto The Giving Machine at www.thegivingmachine.co.uk. Register yourself and select Sir Henry Floyd

Grammar School as your nominated beneficiary. There are hundreds of shopping sites accessible through The Giving Machine including Amazon, M&S, Tesco, Asda, BA, Boden, Next, E-Bay, Argos, John Lewis and many more. The school will earn a percentage of the value of items bought, which varies by retailer at no additional cost to the purchaser.

Think how much we could fundraise without any effort at all if everyone at school logged onto The Giving

Machine when shopping on the internet!

Please support your school and log onto www.thegivingmachine.co.uk

Fundraise While You Shop!

April 2016Monday 11th Inset – School closed to students

Wednesday 13th Year 12 AS Geography Field trip to Swanage

Friday 15th Open Morning at 9.45am

Saturday 16th – Sunday 17th Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Preparation Expedition

Thursday 21st Year 10 Parents Consultation Evening from 5.00pm

Friday 22nd Parents Society Quiz Night at 7.00pm

Monday 25th Year 13 International Baccalaureate Study Leave starts

Friday 29th Junior Maths ChallengeAn Evening of Jazz ‘n Blues at 7.00pm

Saturday 30th – Monday 2nd May DofE Silver Practice Expedition to the Cotswolds

May 2016Monday 2nd Bank Holiday - School Closed

Monday 2nd – Friday 27th Year 13 International Baccalaureate Examinations

Wednesday 4th Year 12 IB Geography Field trip to Swanage

Tuesday 10th Open Morning at 9.45am

Thursday 12th Year 8 Girls 2nd HPV Vaccination

Friday 13th Year 11 Students on Study LeaveYear 13 Leavers Celebration

Monday 16th – Wednesday 29th June

GCSE and A Level Examinations

Monday 16th – Friday 20th Primary Links - Year 5 Science Fairs all weeks

Friday 20th Year 13 A Level Final Day

Monday 23rd GCSE Art Exhibition from 3.30pm to 6.00pm

Thursday 26th A Level Art Exhibition from 3.30pm to 6.00pm

Monday 30th – Friday 3rd June HALF TERM

June 2016Monday 6th Inset – School closed to students

Thursday 9th Open Morning at 9.45am

Tuesday 7th – Friday 17th Year 7, Year 8, Year 10 & Year 12 Examinations

Monday 13th – Friday 17th Primary Links - Drama Fairs all week

Friday 17th Parents Society Summer Raffle Draw

Monday 20th Year 11 Book Returns & Locker Clearance DayParents Society Meeting at 7.00pm

Tuesday 21st Sports Day

Friday 24th Parents Society Years 7 & 8 Disco from 7.00pmYear 12 Birmingham University Visit

Saturday 25th Rock Challenge in Portsmouth

Friday 24th – Sunday 25th DofE Silver Qualifying Expedition to the Peak District

Monday 27th Year 13 Book Returns & Locker Clearance Day

Wednesday 29th International Baccalaureate Induction Day

Thursday 30th Sixth Form Induction Day

July 2016Friday 1st July (tbc) Celebration of Achievement

Summer Concert

Saturday 2nd – Sunday 3rd DofE Bronze Qualifying Expedition

Wednesday 6th International Baccalaureate Exam Results Day

Thursday 7th Open Evening 6.00pm to 8.30pm

Friday 8th Open Morning at 9.45am

Saturday 9th Old Floydians Event

Monday 11th New Year 7 Parents Evening

Tuesday 12th New Year 7 Students Induction Day

Wednesday 13th July – Friday 12th August

World Challenge Costa Rica & Nicaragua

Friday 15th House Olympiad DayMufti Day

Monday 18th – Wednesday 20th Enrichment Week Activities

Thursday 21st – JulyWednesday 31st August

Summer Holiday

August & September 2016Thursday 18th A2 Results Day from 09.00am

AS Results Day from 10.00am

Thursday 25th GCSE Results Day from 10.00amExternal Admissions to Year 12 10.30am to 5.30pm

Thursday 1st – Friday 2nd September

Inset – School closed to students

Monday 5th Years 7 & 8 + Year 10 Buddies & Year 13 return to school

Tuesday 6th All Students In SchoolYear 12 Challenge Day Activities